A Young Avenger at Hogwarts, Book One: Romancing the Stone
by Dylan Wolf
Summary: Jamie Potter was raised in America and is returning to England for her first year at Hogwarts. Raised by her godfather, Sirius, and her godmother, Wanda, along with the Avengers, she's not a shy, retiring kid, she's a Marauder and proud of it. She's also a mutant and a pooka. It's going to be anything but dull. Updated to include information from Fantastic Beasts. Comments welcome.
1. 01: The Girl That Lived

**Third Edition Writer's Notes: In this version, I'm updating the story with references to Ilvermorny and the Congress of Magic from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I'm unsure at this point how much each chapter will be altered by this information, but I know several will be. Particularly relationships between Strange, Agatha and Wanda, and the wanded community of Britain. I also want to explore Jamie's decision to go to Hogwarts rather than Ilvermorny. I think it should have more involved than just the fact that her parents attended there, and her friendships with Dumbledore and Hagrid. Those played a role, of course, but I think the decision should be more layered and nuanced than that.**

 **Chapter 1: "The Girl Who Lived"**

Jamie was nervous as the plane landed at Heathrow Airport. Nervous was bad. Nervous meant her appearance could slip. Her godfather, Sirius, trained her well, however. She immediately forced herself to calm down and quickly checked herself in her pocket mirror while pretending to check her hair. Only her eyes had changed this time, becoming catlike and luminescent. Sunglasses would make sure none of the muggles got freaked out, until she had a chance to center herself and meditate for a few minutes.

"Miss Potter?" Jamie almost jumped with the strangely familiar blonde flight attendant addressed her.

"Yes?" She calmed herself quickly.

"Mister Dumbledore called the airline," the cheerful young woman told her. "He's running a bit late, but should be arriving within the hour. I'll be happy to stay with you until he gets here and help you through customs and baggage claim."

Jamie checked the woman's name tag, still unable to figure out where they may have met before. "Thank you, Amanda. That's very nice of you."

"It's my pleasure," Amanda assured her, but gave no sign that she recognized Jamie. "Just relax until everyone else has disembarked and I'll see to the rest."

Jamie nodded, closed her eyes and tried to shut the chatter around her from her mind. By the time everyone else was off the plane, she checked her mirror again and found human green eyes staring back at her. So far, so good.

The international terminal at Heathrow was a crowded, bustling, frenetic place. Amanda took Jamie to the customs counter, bypassing the line. The agent at the desk blinked several times at her British passport but then quickly stamped it and handed it back to her. The picture was ten years old. She'd been fifteen months old, but Sirius had never gotten around to updating it.

At the baggage claim, Amanda helped Jamie lift her large steamer trunk off the carousel and set it on its wheels.

"Wow," she exclaimed. "That's heavy. Are you sure you can manage it?"

Jamie smiled as she extended the handle at the top. "I'm stronger than I look."

There was a tussle at the main door to the street. A tall, thin man with long white hair and an even longer white beard was attracting a bit of attention. He was wearing a floppy black hat, a bright yellow shirt with a lime green ascot and a pale blue vest. He had on a brown greatcoat and purple trousers that were tucked into black riding boots.

Jamie rolled her eyes and laughed delightedly at the sight, then turned to Amanda. "That's him."

Dumbledore spotted the pair immediately and made his way to them. "Thank you for helping us with this, Miss Sefton."

"My pleasure, Professor," Amanda responded, then turned to Jamie. "I hope you have a good year at Hogwarts. A lot of people are expecting big things from you, but don't let that keep you from having fun."

With that, the young woman vanished into the crowd, leaving Jamie with Dumbledore. "I thought I recognized her. Sirius introduced us once. I didn't know she was a flight attendant as well as a practicing sorceress."

"She's that, my dear child, and a great deal more, but that's a story for another time. It's good to see you again, Jamie. How is Sirius?"

"Worried," she told him honestly, "and angry."

Dumbledore nodded. "He has a good reason for the latter, at least."

He led her out to the street where an ancient limousine waited for them. As he opened the door and assisted her, she looked around quickly, saw no one was paying them any attention, and quickly lifted the trunk into the passenger section.

"I was going to put that in the boot," he told her bemusedly as he climbed into the car behind her.

She laughed as the car pulled out. "You would've needed Mr. Hagrid's help for that, it's pretty heavy."

She quickly bounced forward and reached over the back of the driver's seat to give a large, shaggy driver a quick hug and kiss. "How are you doing, you big teddy bear?"

Hagrid patted the small arms wrapped around his neck. "I'm doin' jus' fine, Princess. It's good ter see ya again."

She returned to her seat and turned to Dumbledore. "Can I relax now?"

"I don't see why not." He smiled. "You've been holding form since leaving New York. You must be tired."

She sighed. "Not really. I wasn't able to sleep, but I did spend several hours meditating. It was good practice and almost as good as sleep. I'm definitely going to sleep well tonight, though."

As she spoke, her features slowly morphed. She removed the cap and hair tie holding her hair in a bushy ponytail, then shook out her mane of raven black hair, revealing the white scalp lock that resembled nothing so much as a bolt of lightning. As she did so, her ears moved up several inches and changed shape becoming catlike along with the rest of her features. The actual shape of her face didn't change much, but her teeth, nose and eyes did and long, translucent catlike whiskers sprouted from the sides of her nose and mouth. As her long furry tail sprouted from the base of her spine, she kicked off her shoes and flexed the claws hidden beneath her finger and toe nails.

She stretched languorously, her tail, ears and whiskers quivering. "That's so much better."

He put her cap and hair tie in the backpack now secured on top of her trunk. "So, where are we going? When do I get to see Hogwarts?"

"We're going to Diagon Alley to buy your school supplies," he told her. "As for Hogwarts, you'll be joining the rest of the students on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow."

She hugged him quickly. "It's good to see you again, Uncle Albus."

He hugged her back and laughed. "It's good to see you too, dear, but it won't get you to Hogwarts one minute sooner."

She flopped back into her seat and stuck her tongue out, then laughed. She obviously hadn't expected her ploy to succeed.

He looked down at her affectionately, but sobered. "You know Minister Fudge is likely to have people looking to 'talk' with you."

Her smile was almost feral. "Let 'em. I'll give 'em an ear full."

"Be careful," he warned gently. "Fudge may be a fool, but he's not a man to be taken lightly"

"Don't worry," she assured him proudly. "He can't touch me. After all, I'm the girl that lived. Besides, Padfoot and Moonie trained me better than that. They wouldn't have let me fly all the way from New York to London by myself if they didn't know I could handle myself. I'm not some shy, retiring little waif of a girl. I'm a Marauder."

Dumbledore rolled his eyes. "Saints preserve us."

He'd been against letting her fly unchaperoned, but the child was extremely persuasive when she wanted to be. Seeing there was no dissuading her now, he changed the subject. "Did your godfather give you enough money from your family account?"

"More than enough." She nodded. "With the birthday money I saved up, I probably have enough for all seven years. I'll need to convert some my birthday money to galleons, but I'd like to visit the vault anyway. I've never seen what's in there. Padfoot gave me the key and a letter of authorization making Hogwarts joint executors."

She produced a letter and key from her backpack and Dumbledore accepted both, putting them in one of the numerous pockets in his greatcoat. He and Sirius had spoken at length throughout the summer in preparation for this day. Actually, they'd been preparing for the last decade; ever since the child's parents were murdered and Sirius was forced to take her into exile. The fact that he was one step ahead of the Ministry of Magic who believed he was responsible for betraying those parents only made the situation worse. Even today, Dumbledore was one of the few that believed in Sirius' innocence.

As they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, Dumbledore cast a quick glamour to cover them until they entered. As expected three wizards were waiting as soon as they stepped through the door. He recognized two of them, but not the third. The two were well known aurors and the third had the demeanor of one. Of course, not even the great Albus Dumbledore could be expected to recognize every member of Britain's wizarding society at first glance.

"Kingsley," Dumbledore greeted the senior man of the group.

"Albus," the large black man responded, obviously unhappy to have been saddled with this duty. "We need to speak with Miss Potter privately."

"I don't think . . . ." Dumbledore began.

"S'okay, Professor," Jamie assured him sweetly. "I have this."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded and smiled.

"Very well," he decided. "Hagrid, stay with her. Don't let them bully her, not that I believe they could. It's well past time I had a long . . . unpleasant conversation with Cornelius. Sending three aurors to 'talk' to an eleven year old indeed. What was he thinking . . . ? Never mind, he obviously wasn't."

He turned once again and smiled. "Be careful, Kingsley. She bites."

With a knowing wink to Jamie, he passed the key and letter to Hagrid and vanished.

"I've never met Minister Fudge," Jamie laughed, "but right now I actually feel sorry for him. Not all that sorry, of course, but a little sorry . . . very little."

She took a seat at a corner table well within earshot of the looming figure of Hagrid. The trio looked at each other, shrugged and joined her.

"Since you're officially a ward of the Ministry," Shacklebolt began, "and are of age to begin formal training, we've been instructed to talk to you about the rules of our Wizarding society."

She held up two fingers. "Two mistakes: first, I'm not a ward of the Ministry, officially or not. Second, my godfather already told me all about the rules; no underage magic outside of Hogwarts and all that. I also know they only deal with spells. I already know several dozen spells, but I don't even have my own wand, although I'll be getting one today. Besides the Ministry's rules aren't all that different from the Congress of Magic's rules in America."

"We also want to take you to St. Mungo's for some tests," one of the other man sounded like he was talking about some loathsome disease, "to look into your . . . condition."

Her tail bristled and her ears laid back, but her voice remained dangerously calm. "I don't have a condition. I'm a pooka."

"Yes." Kingsley tried to calm things down a bit. "We are well aware of that. We also know you weren't born this way. You were changed when the Dark Lord's curse backfired. It's possible what was done to you could be reversed, returning you to fully human."

Now she suddenly became claws out and fangs showing, hissy fit angry. "No! I like what I am. I don't want to be 'fully human', as if that's such a great thing. I'm me. I'm Jamie Wanda Potter; witch, pooka and mutant all rolled into one. If that's not good enough for your precious ministry, you can all go . . . jump in a lake. I'd say what I'm really thinking, but Padfoot taught me to be a lady."

Only after she brought her fist down on the table, breaking it in two, did she realize she was causing a scene and calm down, blushing just slightly. "Oops. Sorry about that."

Kingsley rose calmly and produced his wand. "Reparo."

Once the table re-formed, he returned to his seat. "No problem."

She straightened the sun dress she was wearing and sat back down as well. "Professor Dumbledore did some research. Like a lot of other pureblood families, mine has fae blood in their history. He called what happened to me by a muggle term: a recessive gene. I don't know what would've happened if old Moldywarts hadn't showed up, but he didn't cause what happened, he just triggered it. At least that's how the Professor and my godfather explained it. They had some of the best people in America check me out. They gave me a clean bill of health."

"I see." Kingsley scratched his chin. "It's ill-advised to mock the Dark Lord."

"Why not?" She laughed. "It's not like he can do anything. He's dead . . . at least that what everyone over here keeps insisting. Someone once told me that refusing to name something just gives it more power over you. Voldemort's been gone for nearly ten years. It's time people stop being so afraid of him."

She paused. "If all of that isn't good enough for you and your Ministry, I've already received an acceptance letter to attend Ilvermorny as well as the one I got from Hogwarts. They don't start classes until next week."

Kingsley knew when he'd been defeated. "Well, gentlemen, it appears we've been outdone by an eleven-year-old girl."

"You can't be serious!" The man who didn't like pookas glared at him. "Minister Fudge's instructions were clear. She needs to be given a complete examination before being allowed to attend Hogwarts."

"What do you propose we do, Carlisle?" Kingsley countered. "Take her by force? Have you ever tried to corral a pooka? I have. I've already been embarrassed quite enough for one day, thank you. Besides, she's apparently already been given a clean bill of health before leaving the States."

"If you won't follow orders, I will." Carlisle suddenly produced a wand and pointed it at Jamie. "Stupify!"

But Jamie is no longer there and the spell fizzled harmlessly against the wall as her voice came from directly behind him. "You'll haveta do better 'n that. You shoulda listened to Mr. Shacklebolt."

He leaped from his chair like it was on fire and whirled, wand at the ready. She wasn't there. She appeared on the bar just long enough to give him a raspberry, before vanishing again. He took several steps forward, and uttered a threat that became a squeak when she appeared behind him, phased her hand enough to reach beneath his robes, grabbed him by the underwear and lifted him a foot off the ground, giving him an atomic wedgie.

As he lay there curled up on the floor, trying to catch his breath, she appeared floating a few feet above him with a large mug of ale in her hands, which she quickly dumped on him before disappearing again. "Consider yourself lucky. I could have used my claws and left you with some permanent scars. I don't like bigots and I really don't like you."

That said, she reappeared once again, sitting on the bar next to Hagrid. He'd been watching the whole scene with growing amusement, but with his hand resting on his wand hidden in his overcoat just in case. The danger over, he took his hand out and started clapping. Several others around the bar quickly joined in.

Jamie jumped down off the bar and curtsied prettily, then turned to Kingsley who was picking his disgraced fellow auror up off the floor. "Are we done?"

He nodded and steered the other two into a corner. "I hope you enjoy your first year at Hogwarts, Miss Potter. It's been an . . . education meeting you."

That said, the trio vanished before they could be embarrassed even further. Kingsley actually had a wry smile, while the third auror just looked confused.

Once the tumult of people who wanted to congratulate, or just meet, Jamie died down, a man with painfully red hair approached them. "Hagrid."

The big man smiled and shook the redhead's hand aggressively. "Good ter see ya, Arthur. How's Molly an' th' kids?"

"All well, thank you." He smiled.

"I'd like ter introduce you ter Miss Jamie Potter," Hagrid continued proudly. "Jamie, this here's Arthur Weasley; one o' th' nicest guys y'll ever meet. He was an old friend o' yer parents."

Jamie smiled and curtsied to the new arrival.

"More of an acquaintance, really." Arthur blushed. "I must say it's a distinct pleasure and honor to meet you, Miss Potter. Professor Dumbledore suggested you might stay with my family tonight and accompany us to the train in the morning. With Ron starting this year, we'll just have Ginny left around the house. She's just a year younger than you and will love having another girl around, even if it's just for one night. Having six older brothers hasn't been easy on her."

Jamie shook his hand and smiled through his genial rant. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Weasley. It's very nice of you to invite me over. I'd be honored."

"Such a well-mannered young lady," he gushed.

She laughed. "You wouldn't have known it a few minutes ago."

He waved her self-deprecating comment off. "Nothing that fool Carlisle hasn't had coming for years. I swear, the man gives purebloods almost as bad a name as 'you know who' did."

"I'll bring her by the Burrow after we finish shopping, Arthur," Hagrid promised, starting to steer Jamie towards the brick wall at the back of pub.

"Of course," Arthur agreed. "I'll let Molly know to expect you."

As Hagrid led Jamie to the back of the tavern and through the wall into Diagon Alley, Albus Dumbledore, having changed from "street clothes" to his robes, strode into the Minister's outer office. He'd put this confrontation off for far too long, but no longer. It was time to remind certain people the folly of interfering with HIS students.

"I'm sorry, Professor," the young witch who served as Fudge's receptionist and secretary said, trying to intercept him, "but Minister Fudge is in an important conference and can't be disturbed."

Dumbledore apported calmly past the young lady and opened the door to the inner office to find Fudge alone and definitely not occupied. "Good day, Cornelius. That will be alright, miss. He'll see me."

With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore closed the door behind him and locked the young woman on the other side. "Now, we won't be interrupted."

"I say, Dumbledore," Fudge tried vainly to bluster. "This is quite irregular."

Dumbledore wasn't buying it. "No more irregular than sending three aurors to intimidate an eleven year old girl, Cornelius. What were you thinking? Kingsley is a good man, but Jasper Carlisle is a fool. Besides, I've kept you abreast of Jamie's progress. Do you really think anyone could intimidate her after everything she's been through? What were you thinking indeed?"

Cornelius Fudge was no fool and was wisely afraid of the tall wizard, but tried to diplomatically explain his actions. "Regardless how famous Miss Potter is, certain families will be quite concerned to have a creature of the fae attending Hogwarts with their children once they discover she's returned and been enrolled. I merely requested they meet with her to make certain she was advised of the rules and take her for a full medical examination at St. Mungo's before word got out."

Dumbledore wasn't impressed. "She may have been raised in the colonies, Minister, but she was in the constant care of no fewer than four Hogwarts alumni. Do you really think they didn't prepare her? As for St. Mungo's, I already sent you a copy of the medical records her godparents sent ahead of her arrival. She's received a clean bill of health from some of the best doctors, magical and muggle, they have."

"You'll pardon me, Professor," Fudge responded, making the title Dumbledore was most proud of sound like the Minister was trying to put him in his place, "if I don't fully trust some doctors in America."

Dumbledore saw through the younger man's façade like it was glass. "Your problems with Stephen Strange and the other members of the American Magical Community aside, Cornelius. The list of doctors and experts that have overseen Jamie's care for the past ten years would impress anyone. As I'm sure she's already informed Kingsley and his companions on no uncertain terms. She won't be visiting St. Mungo's anytime soon. Do you have any other problems we need to address, or can I and MY students get on with the new school year?"

Minister Fudge hated the way Dumbledore used that phrase; like his precious students and that school were outside and independent of the community that had elected him Minister. What he wouldn't give to put the man in his place. Unfortunately, Albus Dumbledore was as feared as he was respected for good reason. The simple fact was that Dumbledore intimidated Fudge.

Cornelius knew all too well that the only reason he had his current office was because the man before him had refused it. He knew it and it irked him to no end. Even today, one word from Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius knew a new election would be scheduled before he could even blink and he'd be replaced. Yes, it irked him, but he wasn't fool enough to let the old man know that.

"Very well," he said finally, "but if anything happens because of her presence at Hogwarts, it's on your head and not mine."

Dumbledore smiled a politician's smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Gringott's Bank was an education for Jamie especially when Hagrid left her in the care of a goblin named Griphook while he took care of some school business. Sirius told her that both the Potter and Black families were extremely wealthy but she never imagined how wealthy. The money wasn't what she was there for, though. She walked past the stacks upon stacks of coins to the family heirlooms and such at the back of the vault and found the trunk with the name tag, Lily Evans.

In a small jewelry box inside the trunk, Jamie found what she was looking for. It wasn't any of the expensive pieces of jewelry James Potter bought for his beloved over the years, but a simple locket on a gold chain. To Jamie, it was more valuable than all the rest of the things in the vault put together. To her, it was a link to the past and to parents she had never met.

The inscription on the face of the locket was a verse from the Bible. "Perfect love casts out all fear." Sirius said he gave it to Lily to celebrate Jamie's first Christmas. When opened, it would project images, both magical and mundane, and scenes from Lily's life since arriving at Hogwarts and meeting the men who would become the Marauders.

Jamie didn't open it there. She wanted to be alone when she did. She knew she was going to cry and really hated crying in front of people. She unclasped the chain and hung it around her neck, then turned and left the vault.

"I'd like an inventory done of the contents of the vault and my family's estate," she told Griphook as he resealed the vault door.

The goblins smiled avariciously. "That can be arranged for a nominal fee."

Jamie stopped as if frozen, then turned to Griphook with a frown. "I'd think you'd do it for free as a courtesy for one of your oldest and biggest accounts."

"Free?" The goblin almost choked on the word. "Surely you jest."

Jamie learned haggling from her namesake godmother, Wanda. "Surely I don't."

"Such a thing would be unheard of," the now nervous goblin stammered.

Jamie smiled ferally. "Of course, I could always take the account and estate out of your hands. I know several Muggle banks that would love . . . ."

"You wouldn't." Griphook was terrified at the very thought.

Jamie's expression said otherwise. "I have a friend in America. His name's Tony. He's brilliant and incredibly rich. He told me before I left that if I ever needed help investing my money, he'd be happy to advise me. My godfather even approves and might be convinced to do the same thing with the Black accounts."

Griphook was in shock and several higher ups in the bank were about to have apoplectic fits, but by the time Jamie and Hagrid left, she had the deal.

"I've never seen th' goblins quite so agitated," Hagrid noted as they exited the fortress like main doors.

Jamie shrugged. "I just got them to promise to do a complete inventory of my family's estate . . . for free."

Hagrid looked at her askance. "I never heard of a goblin doin' anythin' fer free. How'd ya pull that off?"

"I threatened to empty the vault and take the estate out of their hands." She smiled sweetly. "I was taught haggling by a gypsy, Hagrid. They never stood a chance."

Hagrid guffawed. "I'da given a month's wages ter have been there ter see that. Indeed I would."

The rest of the afternoon was fairly uneventful, despite one white haired boy in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions who was extremely rude to her. Jamie was in a rather good mood at the time, so she just decided to ignore him. She figured it was his loss. It wasn't like Padfoot hadn't prepared her for the foolish disdain of some purebloods, after all. If he'd made one more snide comment, though, she'd have given him something to remember her by.

They'd gone a bit out of their way to visit Madame Malkin's first and it would also be their last stop when they returned to pick up the robes that Jamie had been fitted for. The shop also had several other clothing items, including a collection of shirts with magically animated artwork on them. Jamie took the opportunity to expand her shirt collection. She bought a blue one with a drake that climbed over and about on it, a red and gold one with a phoenix blazing on the front, one with moving waves and a sea serpent gamboling around on it and three others that caught her fancy. Madame Malkin promised to package up the shirts for them to pick up when they returned for the robes.

Their next stop was a return to Potage's Cauldron Shop, which was actually next to the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron to get a pewter cauldron, size 2, which was required of all students. Jamie was tempted to get a second brass one for her own experiments, but Hagrid didn't think it was a good idea.

"There's a reason why th' school requires pewter," he told her. "Don't rightly know what it is, but I know there is one."

Not able to argue with that logic, Jamie bought the pewter one and they moved on. Their next stop was Flourish & Blotts, where Jamie bought her required school books and several others that caught her fancy, including the latest in a series of romantic fantasies that was popular in the wizarding world.

"It's for Aunt Nymphadora," she lied. "She's addicted to these things."

She also picked up several books on more practical subjects, much to Hagrid's surprise. "Good ter see yer takin' a real interest in learnin' Jamie."

She laughed. "Padfoot and Tonks may not be the most bookish people to come out of Hogwarts, Hagrid, but Mooney and Aunt Wanda both love books and so does Aunt Agatha. I guess I come by it naturally."

At their next stop, Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, Jamie was like a kid in a candy store. She grew up around some of the better alchemists in America and loved brewing potions. It was an art form when you came right down to it. Nowhere near as boring as chemistry. While Hagrid's own Potions grades while he was at Hogwarts hadn't been exactly stellar, he knew enough to be impressed at Jamie's selections and to steer her away from some of the more dangerous stuff.

After a visit to Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment to get Jamie her own telescope and several other bits and pieces of magical equipment she figured she might find use for . . . more likely misuse, really, but she wasn't going to admit that to Hagrid, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour was at the far end of the cul-de-sac, so they stopped there for a snack before heading back towards the Leaky Cauldron stopping at several more shops. There as they savored a pair of large sundaes, Hagrid made a cheerful announcement.

"I never got the chance ter get ye a proper birthday gift, Jamie." How 'bout ye let me get yer a proper pet. The rules say ye c'n get an owl, a cat, a toad or a rat. Let's have a look at Eeylops Owl Emporium an' maybe the Magical Menagerie t' see if we c'n find ye somethin'."

"That's sweet of you, Hagrid," she insisted, "but you really don't have to."

"Hogwash." He laughed. "T'aint everyday a pretty girl like yersel' turns eleven, now is it. Soon enough, y'll be all growed up an' it won't be proper no more fer y'r ol' Uncle Hagrid ter spoil yer a li'l bit."

Now Hagrid had intended to take her to Eeylops and get her a snowy owl he'd had his eye on for her, but Jamie made a beeline for the Magical Menagerie next door to it, where she saw and fell immediately in love with a small, barely weaned, black kitten with bright blue eyes. Seeing the way the kitten purred and cuddled as soon as Jamie picked her up, Hagrid figured the affection was mutual and abandoned the idea of buying the owl. Another girl with unruly brown hair and obviously Muggle parents bought it instead.

Jamie named the kitten Ororo after a friend in upstate New York who loved to fly almost as much as Jamie did. Now, Hagrid had never had much care for cats; one of the few animals he could say that about. They were good for getting rid of mice and making his nose run, and little else, as far as he was concerned. Seeing the little girl and the kitten together, however, was so sweet it brought a tear to his eye and immediately settled the matter as far as he was concerned.

After Hagrid purchased the kitten, Jamie nearly bought the shop out of toys and supplies for the small animal. She bought a cat carrier that was self-cleaning and had an entire yard and garden inside for Ororo to play in. Once she saw a bag of magically preserved, dried and condensed catnip, she had to have it. The same was true for an animated stuff mouse and a set of three colorful balls that jingled, rolled and jumped all on their own. Of course that didn't even include brushes and collars and bows and nail clippers and other things. By the time Jamie was finished, Hagrid figured her new kitten would be the best supplied pet in Hogwarts.

There were only two official stops left, but Jamie had a couple of her own. She wanted to drop by Gambol and Japes, but was rather disappointed. Their selection left a lot to be desired. As a matter of fact, she'd made a lot better stuff with Padfoot for April Fool's Day and told Hagrid as much after they left without buying anything. Knowing her godfather, Hagrid wasn't at all surprised Jamie wasn't that impressed with the shop.

A brief stop at Twilfitt and Tatting's was even more disappointing. It wasn't that they didn't have some nice clothes, but their attitude at seeing a half giant and a pooka darken their doorstep was infuriating. They even had the nerve to have a security wizard keep a close eye on them as they browsed. As if they'd deign to steal anything from such a pretentious dump.

As they left, Jamie was heard to make a comment far louder than was necessary. "I've seen better clothes at thrift shops. This place doesn't deserve a knut of my money if they don't know how to treat customers."

The comment raised several eyebrows and a harrumph from the proprietress, but Jamie just left and loosed a minor telekinetic poltergeist inside once she hit the pavement. The shouts and crashes were quite soothing to her slightly bruised ego.

"Remind me to never go there again, Hagrid," she said, smiling calmly as he resisted the urge to guffaw. "Way too cluttered."

After two disappointments, Jamie was almost reluctant to check out Quality Quidditch Supplies, but she loved Quidditch and knew it was even bigger in Britain than it was in the US. There weren't nearly as many western hemisphere professional teams as there were around Britain and Europe, but Jamie's favorite team, the American Thunderbirds, actually had a chance of making it to the finals this year, so she wanted to show her team spirit by getting a banner and maybe a poster for her room. Happily they had everything she could have wanted. The proprietor even knew her father and was very happy to meet her. It was a nice stop and she promised to drop by again when she was in the market for a broom . . . not that she needed one to fly, but it seemed the thing for kids in the community to buy. There was even an ad for one of the newer models in the store window.

The last stop before returning to Madame Malkin's was at Ollivander's Wand Shop. Obviously used to surprising customers with his seemingly instantaneous appearances, Mr. Ollivander was somewhat at all when Jamie saw him coming.

"I'm pretty hard to surprise." Jamie laughed. "I'm told all pookas are."

He smiled. "You would be my first pooka customer, Miss Potter. I look forward to finding the perfect wand for you."

Hagrid hold a long thin box from inside his coat. "I've got the one fer her right here."

He opened the box and presented it to Jamie. The wand inside almost jumped out of the box and into her hand as she reached for it. The glow that radiated from her the second she grasped it nearly blinded the two men as her already wild mane flared out even more.

"It was your father's," Hagrid told her. "I found it on him after . . . . I been keepin' it fer ya ever since. Figgered he'd want ya ter have it."

She leaped up, wrapped her arms around his massive neck and buried her face in his shoulder. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, Hagrid."

"I remember that wand," the old man said somewhat reverently. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, but that one was special; Rowen wood with a Phoenix feather core. The phoenix that supplied the feather only parted with two. That wand and its twin are two of the most impressive I've ever made. Its twin was actually quite infamous, but that's beside the point. I'll be happy to register it for you, Miss Potter . . . for a nominal clerical fee of five sickles."

Jamie produced the coins without comment or, for once, even a thought of haggling.

When Hagrid dropped Jamie off at the rambling house called the Burrow, she was quite impressed and amazed the place was even standing. "Uncle Tony would go nuts trying to figure out how this place was built."

"Uncle Tony?" Hagrid asked.

"A friend Sirius and I made in America," Jamie told him. "He's a Muggle, but a wizard with technology. He's also a really sweet man once you manage to get past the irresponsible playboy image he puts up."

The Weasley family was wonderful and kooky, and practically adopted Jamie inside of five minutes. Ron was a little shy and tongue-tied around her, but sweet. Ginny was beside herself with hero worship that quickly turned into friendship once a younger girl realized "the girl that lived" wasn't all that different. The twins, Fred and George, were hilarious pranksters and elated to find a kindred soul in Jamie. Even Percy was nice enough, if a little standoffish.

It was Molly, though, that Jamie fell in love with. The woman was a wonder. She had a heart large enough to encompass the whole world.

"You must stay for dinner, Hagrid," she insisted.

"Sorry, Molly," he told her reluctantly, "but I need ter get back t' Hogwarts. Busy day tomorrow."

Dinner at the Burrow was a joint effort. Even Jamie was drafted to help Ginny peel potatoes while Ororo played with her new animated stuffed mouse at their feet. Sirius hadn't done a lot of cooking, but others let Jamie "help" them when she was young, so she at least knew the basics. Her claws made short work of peeling.

"That's so wicked," Ginny said in awe, then became shy. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure." Jamie figured it was one of a handful of questions just about everyone asked eventually and really didn't mind.

"What can you do?" Ginny stumbled. "As a pooka, I mean."

"Oh, lots of stuff." Jamie smiled genuinely. "I'm stronger. I no Hulk or even Captain America, but I broke a table in half when I got mad at some aurors earlier today. I can see in the dark and hear a lot better, and my whiskers can sense vibrations in the air, so it's pretty hard to sneak up on me. I'm a lot more agile and a lot faster than normal. I'm not going to break the sound barrier, but I can out run most cars."

She flexed her claws. "These are pretty strong. I can carve into steel, even cut through it if it's thin enough. They also help me cling to walls and my strength helps me jump pretty far. I can clear twenty feet vertical if I get a good running start."

She paused. "Other than that, I have a lot of the basic pooka powers. I can teleport, become invisible, walk through walls and fly. I can't do much of the psychic stuff or shape shifting some pookas can, but I do have some telekinetic abilities. My shape shifting is limited to making myself look human. It takes several minutes and a lot of concentration. It also tends to slip if I get nervous, excited, angry or anything like that, but it lets me mix with Muggle society without causing a ruckus."

"That's about it," she said finally. "A genetics expert in the US says that in addition to my magical heritage, I'm a mutant. Don't spread that around, okay. He thinks the spell that backfired triggered something in my genes. He called it something real sciency; 'a latent recessive genetic manifestation.' What that means is that Moldywarts' spell somehow activated the Fae heritage I have from the Potter bloodline."

She shrugged. "It's pretty cool, really. My godmother, Wanda, is both, too. She's a powerful wizardess and has these mutant powers that warp probability, making her pretty talented with chaos magic."

Ginny's face suddenly turned pale. "Wanda . . . chaos magic . . . ? You don't mean Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, do you?"

Jamie sighed, realizing she just opened her big mouth again. It wasn't even like she did it deliberately. To her, Wanda and her friends were just a bunch of wonderful, funny, amazing people who took a shine to her and practically adopted her, making her childhood something truly special.

She smiled. "Would it be so bad if I did? She's really sweet. Her brother's a bit of a jerk when you first get to know him, but he's not so bad. He's got issues, though. Boy, does he have issues."

She figured she must will let the other boot drop. "Her friends are really great. They kind of adopted me as an unofficial mascot. Even the Hulk can be surprisingly gentle and protective. He calls me 'pretty kitty', but my call sign is Pooka. At least it will be when I'm older."

Ginny was in shock. "You know the Avengers."

Jamie didn't think it was that big of a deal. "They're just people."

"Just people." Ginny was trying to wrap her brain around it.

"Yeah," Jamie tried to assure her. "Clint, that's Hawkeye, taught me how to fire a bow. Natasha, the Black Widow, and Cap taught me self-defense. Natasha also taught me how to dance. Did you know she's a trained ballerina? She's so graceful. Thor is big, loud and boisterous. Sirius calls him an overgrown frat boy, but he tells some of the best stories. Bruce taught me how to meditate."

She paused, then sighed. "Everyone sees them as these bigger than life icons, but they're really just folks when you get to know them. For example, Tony Stark has this big show off playboy genius vibe going, but the way his girlfriend, Pepper, has him wrapped around her little finger is hilarious; incredibly sweet, but still hilarious."

"Wow," was all Ginny could think to say.

"This isn't going to make things weird, is it?" Jamie was worried.

"No," Ginny hugged her new friend. "It just takes some getting used to. It's not every day you meet someone who knows the Avengers on a first name basis."

Jamie hugged her back, relieved that her big mouth hadn't cost her another friend. It wasn't even like she was name dropping. Whatever else the Avengers might have been, to her they were just a big, slightly dysfunctional, family of aunts and uncles who opened their hearts to her. She really couldn't see them any other way, but all anyone else seem to see where these bigger than life figures.

She let the matter drop, but at dinner, Ginny practically gushed about it. "Did you guys know Jamie knows the Avengers? Her godmother is the Scarlet Witch. Jamie actually hangs out with them."

Jamie sighed as everyone stared at her. "It's not all that weird. All anyone ever sees are these huge superheroes in bright costumes, but they're really these nice, sweet and surprisingly normal people."

One of the twins cocked an eyebrow. "Thor's a normal guy?"

Jamie laughed. "Oh, yeah. He eats like a horse. His friend, Voltstagg, is the only person I've seen eat more. I saw Thor put away twenty slices of French toast and ask for more. Jarvis has this secret recipe he won't tell anyone. I'd have eaten twenty too if I could have, but I can usually only handle two or three before I'm stuffed."

She continued. "He's a big, boisterous kid. He loves to laugh almost as much as he loves to fight, and boy does he love to fight, but he tells the best stories. At the same time, he can be wonderfully gentle; particularly around his lady friend, Jane."

"What about Tony Stark?" Percy asked, now interested.

Jamie shrugged and decided to run with it. "He's brilliant. He's also a coffee fueled insomniac and probably insane. He's a narcissistic, monomaniac who doesn't work well with others and has an innate gift at saying the very thing most likely to push your buttons. By the way, he'll readily admit to all of that . . . particularly the brilliant part. Most of that description is a direct quote from him."

She smiled fondly. "He's also one of the sweetest men I know. That, however, he'll deny with his dying breath. He's extremely funny; almost as funny as he thinks he is. He might be funnier if Pepper didn't keep stopping them from finishing half the jokes he starts to tell. Then again, maybe not."

She blushed slightly, then shook her head. "His curiosity and imagination are limitless, but I think he's been hurt bad by someone very important to him. All the rest of it is just a way to protect himself from getting hurt like that again. It's sad, really, but he's the last person who would ever want anyone feeling sorry for him."

Molly ended the questions. "I remember Wanda. She and your parents were First Years when Arthur and I were Seventh Years. Anyway, Ron and Percy, it's your turn to clear the dishes. The rest of you go get ready for bed. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

"Some of us." Ginny pouted.

Arthur laughed sympathetically. "Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, daughter. Enjoy your freedom while you can."

As Ginny kissed her parents good night, Jamie started gathering dishes to take to the kitchen, but Molly stopped her. "Let the boys take care of that, dear. You're a guest."

"Okay," Jamie said reluctantly, gathering up a very full and sleepy kitten.

On a whim, just before following Ginny to her room, Jamie leaned over and kissed Molly on the cheek. "Thank you. You know, for dinner and everything."

Molly smiled understandingly. "It was my pleasure, dear. All of it."


	2. 02: Hogwarts

.

 **Third Edition Writer's Notes: Chapter One only had very small changes, like Jamie's threat to return to America and attend Ilvermorny. I expect several more in this chapter, including Hermione noticing Jamie's American accent and asking why she's attending Hogwarts instead. Let's face it. That's not the sort of thing an intelligent, perceptive and downright nosy girl like Hermione would miss.**

 **Chapter 2: "Hogwarts"**

The next morning was extremely hectic, but Jamie found the time and a quiet corner to meditate, emerging from Ginny's room wearing a pair of capris and a Star Wars T-shirt. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail again and she wore a New York Yankees cap to cover the white scalp lock she never seemed to be able to get rid of.

The Weasley's were all quite impressed. Jamie wasn't sure how they were going to fit all of eight of them and luggage for five plus a couple of pets into the family's compact car, but she needn't have worried. Even after they piled all of them in, there was still more room inside.

"A TARDIS charm?" Jamie asked as Arthur pulled out into the street.

"Not the official name, but very perceptive, Jamie," Arthur praised her.

She shrugged. "It was one of Padfoot's favorites."

Fred and George perked up, speaking in stereo. "Padfoot?"

Jamie nodded. "That was my godfather, Sirius', nickname at Hogwarts. All the Marauders had them. Remus Lupin was Moony. My father was Prongs. That bastard Peter Pettigrew was Wormtail."

"Jamie!" Mrs. Weasley was shocked by the language.

"Sorry." Jamie put her hand over her mouth. "It was Wormtail who betrayed my parents to Voldemort and framed Sirius. I'm glad he's dead."

The car was silent for several minutes until Fred broke the tension. "I didn't know your da was a Marauder. They're legends at Hogwarts."

"According to Padfoot," she giggled, "for all the worst reasons. I think the two of you would make great Marauders."

"Don't encourage them dear," Molly admonished. "They were already on the verge of being expelled last term . . . twice; once for blowing up one of the school bathrooms."

Jamie turned to the twins, winked and nodded. They immediately caught the sign and let the matter drop . . . for now, at least. They would talk later. Jamie had plans for restarting the Marauders. It was practically a family tradition, after all.

The train station in London was as crowded as Heathrow airport had been, but Molly deftly led her clan to the pillar between Platforms Nine and Ten.

"Don't dawdle, Fred," she called back as they arrived.

"But, mum, I'm George." Came the reply.

"No, you're not." Jamie laughed. "You're Fred."

"How can you tell?" He wasn't sure whether he should be insulted or intrigued.

"Your voices are different," she insisted. "You may be able to fool your mother, but you can't fool these ears."

Through the portal, they each in turn entered Platform 9 ¾, where Ginny fought back tears and hugged Jamie. "You will write like you promised, won't you?"

Jamie hugged her back just as fiercely. "Of course, I will. And I'll get Padfoot to send you those clothes I outgrew in my last growth spurt. A lot of them are Van Dyne designs and Jan help me pick out most of the rest. I'll have him send them by No-Maj mail as soon as I can."

"No-Maj?" Ginny asked curiously.

"That's what we call muggles in America," Jamie explained. "It's short for Non-Magicals."

As soon as they boarded the train, Percy disappeared to join the other prefects, while Fred and George ran off to see some other student's pet tarantula. Left to their own devices, Jamie and Ron found an empty cabin and settled in.

Just before the train pulled out, a girl with unruly brown hair and a snowy white owl peaked in. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure," Jamie returned instantly. "I saw you at the pet store in Diagon Alley yesterday."

The girl moved in and Jamie helped her put her trunk in the overhead bin. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"Ron Weasley," Ron almost stammered.

"Jamie," Jamie introduced yourself, omitting her surname for the moment. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself, but I remember thinking your parents seemed awed by the sights."

"They're dentists," Hermione told them. "I'm the first person in my family to have magic. I'm absolutely fascinated by it. I've already started reading our textbooks. I'm really looking forward to starting classes."

Before long the three were chatting about Hogwarts and the Sorting Ceremony.

"Fred and George, they're my brothers, told me it was some terrifying and painful test of will." Ron wasn't sure he wanted to believe them.

Jamie laughed. "They're pulling your chain, Ron. It's really simple. My godfather told me they have a magical artifact that helps find the house each student will fit best in."

They were discussing what house they wanted to be sorted into when the door of the cabin burst open revealing the white-haired brat Jamie ran into at Madame Malkin's. This time backed by a pair of Junior League thugs who looked as dense as he was prattish. "Someone told me 'the girl that lived' was in here. I want to see for myself, but I don't see how it could be either of you two."

Jamie stood up and removed her cap and hair tie, shaking her mane out. "Jamie Wanda Potter. What's it to you?"

"What do you want?" Ron growled in disgust.

"Let me guess," the annoying boy spat back. "Red hair, cheap clothes, bad manners and no brains; you have to be a Weasley."

He turned back to Jamie, still not recognizing her from the day before. "Be careful, Potter. At Hogwarts, you're known by the company you keep."

"Good to know." Jamie smiled sweetly. "Now I'll know to avoid bottom feeding scumbags like you."

"How dare you!" Malfoy made the biggest mistake of his life so far; raising his hand to slap Jamie.

Jamie instantly reverted her appearance and snarled at him. "Try it and you lose the arm."

"You!" Malfoy screamed like a girl, soiled himself and stumbled back behind the protection of his thugs who were backpedaling themselves.

Jamie stared them down, claws out, ears back and tail bristling.

Malfoy quickly regained his composure even as he retreated. "I can't believe Hogwarts is admitting monsters now. As if the mudbloods and Muggleborns weren't bad enough. My father is going to hear about this."

"Like I should care?" Jamie laughed and slammed the door closed behind them.

"As I was saying," she continued, returning to her seat like nothing had just happened. "I hope I'm sorted to Gryffindor. My parents met there, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad."

Hermione was in shock. "You're 'the girl that lived'? I read about you in the Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts."

Jamie just shrugged and smiled.

"I read you were abducted by the criminal Sirius Black who betrayed your parents to You-Know-Who."

Jamie sighed. "Don't believe everything you read."

She paused; not angry, but definitely frustrated. "There was a powerful charm placed on my parents' home making it impossible to find, so Voldemort couldn't locate them. Part of the charm chooses one person to be the only one to know the true location and they're the only person that can tell others where it is. Not even an Imperious Charm can make anyone else reveal it. Everyone thought Sirius would be the best 'secret keeper' as they called it, but he thought he'd be too obvious. He suggested another friend, Peter Pettigrew, figuring no one would suspect him."

She wiped a tear from her eye. "Pettigrew was the one who told Voldemort. Sirius says he lost it when he found out. He hunted Pettigrew down and confronted him in the middle of Piccadilly. Pettigrew made a show of accusing Sirius in front of witnesses. He figured he could frame him, push him into attacking, then escape the last minute, leaving everyone thinking he was dead."

She actually smiled; not a friendly smile. "He never dreamed Sirius would attack him with the same spell the Dark Lord used to kill my mom and dad."

"Avada Kedavra," Ron said in a hushed tone.

"That's the one." Jamie tried to joke, but failed rather miserably. "Dumbledore interviewed him personally, both through legilimancy and using veritaserum, before he sent us to America. The Ministry knows the truth, but is keeping their mouths shut to protect their image and Fudge has had his hands in it up to the shoulders since day one."

She paused to rein in her temper like Bruce taught her. "They justify it by claiming that using an unforgivable curse already condemns him. They unofficially agreed not to pursue him as long as he never returns to Britain. Until I landed at Heathrow yesterday, they didn't even care that he was raising me."

"With your accent, I figured you weren't raised locally," Hermione tried to broach the subject with some measure of diplomacy. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you come all the way back to Britain to attend school? Why not attend Ilvermorny, the school they have in America? It doesn't quite have the prestige of attending Hogwarts, of course, but after everything that happened, you can't have a lot of good feelings about coming back here."

Jamie shrugged. "A lot of reasons, I guess. I got acceptance letters from both schools, but my parents and godparents all attended Hogwarts. Padfoot, Moony and Tonks, even Aunt Wanda, who all helped raise me, all had such good memories of the school and I was raised on stories about the place. I've also known Headmaster Dumbledore and Mr. Hagrid, the school's groundskeeper, as long as I can remember."

She paused. "If you come right down to it, though, I guess I chose Hogwarts because it got me away from home. Don't get me wrong, I love them all dearly and I'm already missing them, but I can't grow if I'm always so sheltered. Even if I was in Massachusetts and they were in New York, they'd just be an apport away. I need to stand on my own. Too much depends on it. I never told any of them that, of course."

Hermione wondered what the girl meant by "too much depends on it", but let it pass for now.

"Anyway," Jamie continued. "There, I'd likely have been chosen by either Wampus or Thunderbird. Wampus favors warriors; Thunderbird, adventurers. Of course, Horned Serpent favors scholars and I'm pretty smart, so I guess that's an outside possibility. Thunderbird and Wampus are still the most likely, though. Since Pukwudgie favors healers, I don't see that happening."

Conversation quickly returned to normal. Another First Year lost his toad and Ororo briefly found a "new friend". The food cart came through and Jamie practically bought them out. Hey, a girl's gotta eat. It took very little effort to overcome her cabin mates' training and convince them to join her.

Minister Fudge sat glumly in his office, still disturbed by his confrontation with Dumbledore the day before. The agents he'd planted in Diagon Alley had filed lengthy reports regarding the Jamie Potter's antics; particular her interactions at Gringott's and Madame Malkin's, and the debacle at Twilfitt and Tatting's. The picture it painted was quite disconcerting, to say the least.

Given who his predecessors let raise the child, of course, it wasn't really surprising. The antics of the criminal, Sirius Black, and the werewolf, Remus Lupin, along with their fellows, was legend not only at Hogwarts, but throughout the magical community of Britain. The child's godmother, Wanda Maximoff, wasn't much better, given the way she publically flaunted her abilities and the people she associated with. A lot of people were expecting a great deal from "the girl that lived", too bad she was likely to be so difficult to control and mold. He'd need to do something about that.

His dark musings were interrupted by a knock on his door that signaled the arrival of his expected visitor. On command, the door opened, revealing Jasper Carlisle responding to his summons. Kingsley was too much a friend of Dumbledore's and the third man, whose name he couldn't remember, was an unknown commodity, but Jasper was Fudge's man. The Minister was looking forward to hearing his report.

"Come in, Jasper," he greeted the man magnanimously.

"Minister," Carlisle was, as ever, circumspect and prone to make sure he knew where he stood in any situation before committing himself, which is why his behavior at the Leaky Cauldron was so surprising.

"Have a seat," Fudge directed, then got to the point. "I'd like to hear your assessment of the Potter situation. The others have already given me their opinions, but yours is the one I most value."

Carlisle was prepared for this, but was still embarrassed. "Thank you, sir, but I'm afraid I have to admit to a rather extreme misjudgment yesterday. Even though I read the reports from the colonies, I was in no way ready to deal with the . . . child's level of control of her abilities. Invisibility is one thing, but her strength and teleporting abilities are far in advance of what should be possible in an eleven year old. She's potentially a far more dangerous creature than we ever dreamed possible."

Fudge nodded. "My other agents who observed her later in Diagon Alley report much the same. No eleven year old should be that capable. She manipulated the goblins of Gringott's to perform a complete assessment of her estate . . . for free, then used her telekinetic abilities to turn the front section of Twilfitt and Tatting's into a minor disaster area after she didn't like the reception they gave her."

Carlisle sighed. "Invisibility, teleportation, enhanced strength, telekinesis and, if the incident at Gringott's is any clue, some level of mental influence; it's a concerning list. Some of those abilities shouldn't be developed until a fae reaches full adulthood. In my educated opinion, she's far too dangerous to be permitted to attend Hogwarts. The house elves that are permitted to serve there are bad enough, but at least they're bound by their natures to remain loyally servile . . . at least until given clothes."

He grimaced. "I'd hoped that the doctors at St. Mungo's might be able to find a way to purge her of that taint the dark lord's curse left her with, but she became violent when I even suggested it. A sure sign if I've ever seen one that her abilities have warped her psyche. To think she actually claimed that being human would be a step down from what she is."

He growled at the perceived insult. "Shacklebolt, of course, was no help . . . despite his claims to have dealt with fae and pookas before. He left me to face her full wrath. In fact he almost seemed to enjoy seeing my comeuppance. The man is an insult to his office. He didn't even step up when the brat actually dared to threaten to return to the states and attend Ilvermorny. I'd have called her bluff. Let them have her."

Fudge didn't disagree; at least not out loud. He knew that having the girl that lived educated anywhere but at Hogwarts was unthinkable, of course. He'd never be able to face the President of the Congress of Magic if he let that happen. The woman was already insufferable. She'd never let him live it down.

"Unfortunately," he told his subordinate, "the matter is now no longer in our hands. Dumbledore has produced documents confirming that Miss Potter received a broad medical examination before leaving the US. Despite the questionable nature of some of those involved in performing the examination, I'm forced to accept it and now that she's en route to Hogwarts, she's entirely his problem."

Carlisle smiled grimly. "It's my hope that no innocent caught up in the coming disaster pays with their lives, but at least when she blows up in his face, you'll have a chance to discredit him; possibly even remove him and replace him with someone more to your liking; someone more tractable and capable of showing proper respect."

"There is that," Fudge agreed.

Carlisle nodded. Nothing had been said overtly. Nothing ever was in this kind of situation. There were too many ways for prying ears to listen in. Nonetheless his orders were clear. Now he simply needed to figure out how to carry them out. Of course, pookas by their very nature were easily manipulated by one who knew what he was doing. It should be easy enough to arrange things towards a disaster that would end with her expulsion and her patron's disgrace and removal.

He considered himself the best person for such a responsibility. His family had once been one of the more influential pureblood families in Britain until they crossed a house elf and he cursed them upon being released from their service. Jasper had only been a child when it happened, but he'd never forgotten it. The cost of the reparations required to entice the faerie court to remove the curse, had nearly bankrupted them. It took his parents years to even start to recover. He had sworn personal vengeance on those he deemed responsible . . . which for him meant every fae ever born. His hatred for all such beings and all non-humans, really, had grown to legendary proportions.

"Be that as it may, Carlisle," Fudge said as if one subject had nothing to do with the other. "The reason I asked you to come see me is that I've decided to reassign you to the auror's office in Hogsmeade. I need someone I can trust as close to that school as possible . . . just in case."

He paused. "It's not much of an office, I'm afraid. In fact, you'll be the only auror assigned there. Some would say it's a step down for you, but I don't see it that way and I hope you don't either. If nothing else, you'll be answerable to no one but me."

Carlisle smiled. "I don't see it as a step down at all, Minister. I see it as an opportunity. I thank you for your trust in me. I won't let you down."

Only once Carlisle had left did Cornelius Fudge let himself smile. The man was useful, mainly in that he was easily manipulated. Argus Filch, the caretaker of the school, was far more reliable, far closer to the situation and his ties to the Fudge family were well hidden. Unfortunately there were some things you couldn't rely on a squib for, especially one with split loyalties at best.

As the sun started setting, the students were told to change into their robes and prepare to arrive at Hogwarts on time. Jamie, Ron and Hermione were all nervous, but each dealt with it differently. Ron ate. In fact he finished off the food Jamie bought. She didn't mind, of course. Hermione read and twirled her hair nervously. Jamie stroked Ororo, who didn't seem to mind and purred contentedly. The purring, in turn had its desired effect on Jamie, calming her and even helping her relax.

Leaving their luggage on the train as instructed, they disembarked in the growing darkness of the night and were greeted by Hagrid's call for First Years to come with him. The ride in the boats by lantern light was quite enchanting, but Jamie had to be careful to restrain Ororo, who "thought" she wanted to play with the fish.

Jamie, Ron, Hermione and Neville, the owner of the now traumatized toad, were all in the boat behind Hagrid's. The castle loomed ahead in the final light of the already set sun. Lit with torches and magical glows, it seemed to Jamie's eyes a place of endless wonder. This feeling was only magnified when the boats sailed into the outer walls of the castle and docked before a pair of massive doors that seemed larger than some homes.

Hagrid knocked on the doors and turned his charges over to a tall, thin, austere woman who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. She took them from there, guiding them through doors and halls while cautioning them to keep up and not dawdle.

She gathered them in a final room where she told them a little about the ceremony and briefed those who didn't know on the rules and the Houses. Then she left them to wait. It didn't take Jamie long to realize they were standing in a much tighter group than the room required she was one of the first to break away, dragging Ron and Hermione with her. She almost giggled at the thought of Starfleet reviews.

"I'm going to kill Fred," Ron complained. "He tried to tell me I'd be wrestling a troll or something."

The girls laughed a little nervously. Then the ghosts floated through and took the opportunity to introduce themselves. When she saw that Peeves was plotting mischief, Jamie reached out and slapped him solidly on the back of the head.

"Behave," she warned the poltergeist.

"Hey, I felt that." Peeves was incensed. "You're not supposed to be able to do that."

"Well, I can." She reached out and tweaked his nose. "Deal with it."

The Fat Friar was heard to note as Professor McGonagall returned and the ghosts parted ways, "This is going to be a most interesting year."

The kids were led into the main dining hall, which was even more amazing than the rest of the castle. Jamie had her neck on a swivel, trying to take it all in at once. It almost felt like she was walking into a fairytale.

The sorting hat sat on a small stool in front of the whole school. As Professor McGonagall called each of their names, they were to step up, take a seat. She would then put the hat on their head. Abbott, Hannah went to Hufflepuff, followed by Bones, Susan, and so it proceeded. Brown, Lavender was the first to go to Gryffindor. When Hermione's name came up, the hat took a few moments before sending her to Gryffindor as well. Even shy, klutzy Neville Longbottom got sent to Gryffindor, albeit after a rather long delay, so the hat was obviously looking at much deeper traits. He was the last person Jamie would think of as being brave or daring.

When it was the Malfoy boy's turn, he sauntered up and the hat hadn't even touched his head before it screamed. "SLYTHERIN!"

Jamie's mind started to wander until she heard Professor McGonagall say, "Potter, Jamie."

She walked up amidst whispers and much craning of necks, sat down, listening as the hat started talking to her as soon as it was put on her head. "Oh, my you're a difficult one. So much talent and potential. You'll do well no matter which house you go to. You definitely have loyalty and a measure of patience, but I don't think Hufflepuff would be best for you."

A pause. "You have the wits to do well in Ravenclaw, the bravery to do well in Gryffindor and the cunning, oh yes, the cunning to excel in Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin," Jamie begged. "Anywhere but Slytherin."

"Are you certain? You could do extremely well in Slytherin," the hat admonished.

"Not Slytherin," Jamie persisted. "Please, anywhere but there."

"Well, if you're so insistent." The hat's voice sounded almost disappointed. "If not Slytherin, then I guess you better be . . . GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word was announced to the whole room as Jamie got up with a leap of joy, dropped the hat, flew by and did a loop before landing near Hermione at the Gryffindor table. Percy and the twins were beside themselves with glee, but several other people around the room sat in shock, including a couple of folks at the head table.

"Oops," Jamie said, blushing and sitting down. "Sorry."

Several minutes and students later, Ron joined the Gryffindor table to the congratulations of his brothers. Once Blaise Zabini joined Slytherin and the ceremony ended, Professor Dumbledore got up to speak a few words. Jamie wondered what importance nitwit, blubber, oddment and tweak would have for the coming year, but she quickly lost focus once the food appeared. Food had a tendency to do that for her.

After dinner, Dumbledore gave some final announcements. First Years were warned away from the forest, with a special warning to the twins. Spellcasting was forbidden in the halls between classes. He added a ban on flying with a glance at Jamie. She figured she could work around those restrictions easily enough. Quidditch trials would be interesting, but weren't normally open to First Years. It was the last announcement about the third floor corridor on the right side being off limits to anyone who didn't want to die painfully that intrigued her, but she figured she could look into it once she was better settled in; maybe after she had a talk with the Weasley twins, her future partners in . . . fun.

After dessert and the strangest school song Jamie had ever heard. Percy gathered the eight fresh Firstie Gryffindors and led them to their new home. In addition to Ron and Neville, they had Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. In addition to Jamie and Hermione, they got Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, whose twin sister, Padma, went to Ravenclaw.

On the way to the dorm, Percy stopped suddenly when he saw a bundle of walking sticks floating ahead of them. "It's Peeves, the poltergeist pest. The only one who can control him is the Bloody Baron. He won't even listen to the prefects."

Jamie stepped forward. "I have this."

She floated up next to the poltergeist and spoke softly. "Do you want to return those walking sticks neatly back where you got them, or do you want me to stick them forcefully somewhere that will be both painful and embarrassing for you?"

As the sticks floated sullenly back to the proper storage room, Jamie returned to the group. "That should take care of him for tonight."

"How did you?" Percy asked in shock.

"She slapped him on the back of the head earlier," Ron announced proudly. "He felt it."

"I'm a pooka." Jamie shrugged. "Walking through walls and slapping annoying poltergeists around comes with the title."

A few minutes and a password later, they parted ways in the common room and Jamie found yourself sharing a large bedroom with the other three girls. There were four large canopied four-poster beds, four vanities, four writing desks and four wardrobes, in addition to their trunks and luggage from the train.

It was extremely late at night in the African nation of Wakanda, which was two time zones east of Britain and Hogwarts. The Royal Wakandan Museum had closed hours earlier, but had an unexpected and unwanted guest. The poltergeist floated silently and purposefully through the halls and galleries. It knew exactly where it was going.

Now most poltergeists were much like Peeves at Hogwarts; harmless, but annoying. They also, like Peeves, were most often tied to a specific place. At the very worst, most were only mildly malevolent. Not so with the dark spirit that wandered the halls of this museum on this night. He was anything but harmless. He was tied to no place and he was extremely malevolent. He was also a mercenary and a gifted thief often hired by dark wizards to obtain objects for them.

As was sadly true with many African nations, Wakanda was home to a variety of cults. The Panther Cult was the nation's official religion, but most others were accepted. Two exceptions were the Lion Cult and the Cult of the White Gorilla. Whereas most nations would destroy all artifacts of such banned orders, however, the ruling house of Wakanda was far more progressive. They opted not to hide the dark side of their nation's history . . . and these two banned cults definitely represented that.

King T'Challa firmly believed in the axiom that those who forgot their past were doomed to repeat it. Much better, in his opinion, to put such history on display and use the relics related to them to tell the story of the foolishness of those who held to such beliefs. It was his hope that if people knew the truth of what these terrible organizations truly represented, they would be far less likely to fall for the flowery promises adherents of these religions offered each time they arose anew. The fact that both cults, the White Gorilla Cult in particular, espoused ignorance as a virtue made his decision to educate the people anathema and his decision all the more effective.

This night, however, that open mindedness would prove a liability as the poltergeist's target was displayed in the section dedicated to educating people on the crimes of the M'Baku, the White Gorilla, and his followers. The pelt worn by M'Baku was a powerful magical artifact that imbued the wearer with a list of impressive abilities. He would be paid well in the only currency that mattered to him any longer; mystical energy; the very energy that freed him from a specific locale and gave him abilities that others of his kind only dreamed of.

Gaining entry despite some of the most advanced magical and technological security it had ever seen, had been easy for one who had no mass and couldn't be detected by either unless it wanted to. Killing the two guards it encountered hadn't been necessary, but they were muggles and therefore to be hated. Disarming the security on the display case containing the pelt was accomplished by frying the electronics with a spectral EMP. Once that was accomplished, he merely reached ephemeral arms into the case, willed them to touch the pelt, made it ephemeral once touched and lifted it from its mounting.

Quickly rolling his prize up and putting it into the shoulder bag he carried, the poltergeist turned to leave. It was only then that it encountered an obstacle; an obstacle in the form of a man wearing an all concealing black garment; T'Challa, the Black Panther, King of Wakanda.

"That doesn't belong to you, spirit," the Panther said calmly. "Drop it and leave this place. Never return. Unlike other nations, Wakanda knows how to deal with your ilk . . . permanently."

"I think not," the poltergeist responded disdainfully. "I know how to deal with real wizards. A muggle dabbler such as yourself holds no threat to me. Leave me to my business if you value your life, or I'll happily leave your worthless corpse to join those of your lackeys."

If the Panther was intimidated even in the slightest he didn't show it. "One has to wonder how the poltergeist of a British wizard comes to be in Wakanda and what use one such as you would have for the artifact you're attempting to steal. Surely you know it holds no power for the dead; merely for the living."

The poltergeist permitted itself to become flustered, but only for an instant. "How do you know I was a wizard in life, much less from Britain? I know I eradicated all trace of an accent well before one of your ilk slew my mortal form."

The Panther maneuvered and seemed to be buying time for some reason. "You used the word muggle; a term common only among British wizards and then only those from the more pureblood families. I believe one of your folk heroes would have said it was . . . elementary."

The poltergeist growled and telekinetically threw an ancient spear at the hero who nimbly avoided it and countered with a thrown knife of his own; a knife that should have passed right through its target, but instead stuck deeply in its ephemeral flesh. It had been many years since the spirit had felt anything akin to pain and the sensation jarred it. This wasn't a fight it was prepared to have. Muggle or not, the Black Panther had many weapons made of vibranium, which had the ability to hurt or even kill spirits.

Teleporting burned a massive amount of precious magical energy. Were he not promised many time as much for the pelt, it would have posed a prohibitive problem. Even now, it wasn't something he could do with impunity. It was however necessary. He jerked the blade from his ectoplasmic shoulder, threw it to the ground and vanished. With luck, he would be secured in the baggage compartment of a departing jet and on his way out of the country before they expanded their search to the Royal Airport.

The other girls went to bed quickly and were out almost immediately, but Jamie had a bit too much nervous energy. She quietly opened her trunk and took out the Starktech communicator the Avengers gave her as a parting gift. It was a great honor, because normally only full time members and active reservists were assigned them.

Floating silently, invisibly and intangibly through the outside wall, she headed down to the lawn by the lake. There was a tree there that had been particularly special to her parents. It was there that James Potter found the courage to propose to Lily Evans near the end of their seventh year.

She found a comfortable seat on one of the tree's wider limbs then opened the device and keyed in Sirius' code. He answered almost immediately. "Hey, Kitten. I've been waiting for your call. Tell me everything. What House are you in?"

She laughed. "I miss you too, Padfoot. I made it into Gryffindor."

He let out a hoot. "I knew you would. I even made a bet with Moonie. He thought you might go to Ravenclaw."

She quickly filled him in on the details. He was particularly proud of how she dealt with the Ministry, Malfoy and Peeves.

"A chip off the old block you are, Kitten." He exclaimed proudly. "Your first night at Hogwarts and you're already becoming a legend."

"I could do with a little less notoriety," she told him solemnly, "but it seems to be my lot in life and I guess someone has to do it."

He laughed. "You love it and you know it. You are your father's daughter, after all."

They talked for several minutes, including arranging to have a care package sent to Ginny, but she finally had to end it. "I love you, Padfoot. I gotta go. I'm out of the dorm after hours and still need to call Wanda and the others."

He tried to hide the little tear in his voice. "You take care of yourself, Kitten. Listen to Dumbledore and McGonagall. They won't steer you wrong. Don't always do what they tell you to, but always listen to them."

She waited a couple of minutes until she had her loneliness under control, then called Wanda.

Her godmother responded even more quickly than Padfoot had. "Jamie! How are you doing? Have you made any friends yet? Hey, everyone, it's Jamie. Let me put you on the big screen."

Jamie laughed as a large image of the Avengers living room crowded with people she loved appeared. "Hey, everyone. I'm doing pretty good. I'm in Gryffindor and have already made a couple of friends. One of my roommates is a first-generation girl I met on the train. Her name's Hermione and she's really smart. I think she'll be a good influence on me, if I don't corrupt her first. I miss all you guys so much already."

Tony chimed in. "So, how's the tech working? Any interference?"

"I've only used the communicator, Uncle Tony, and I'm outside the actual castle. I promise to test it all out and give you a full report when I call this weekend."

The others all took their turns. Pepper, Thor and Jane, Jan and Hank, Steve, Bruce and Jarvis. Even Logan and Peter were there.

"The other guy says 'hello, pretty kitty'." Bruce told her affectionately.

Later she told Logan. "Let Cousin Jean and the others know I'll call them this weekend."

By the time they told her about Thor's latest mishap with the microwave and Steve's first experiences with a laptop; both of which had her laughing so hard she almost fell out of the tree; it was past ten p.m. and she was starting to feel tired. It took five minutes more to say good night everyone, but by the time she yawned, stretched and shut off the communicator, she was feeling a bit less lonely and a lot more ready to sleep.

She was just about to head inside when she spotted a shadowy figure skulking through the yard and her head almost exploded with pain. Fighting the urge to scream and throw up, she saw a second figure following the first. Her enhanced night vision identified both men as teachers. The first was the purple turban wearing man introduced that night as Professor Quirrell. The second was the Potions teacher, Professor Snape, who had been the Marauders favorite target back in the day.

Quickly becoming invisible, just in case, she debated following them. What were they doing sneaking around at this hour? Never mind the fact that she was doing the same thing. Professor Quirrell seemed too nervous to be wandering at this hour. Why would Snape be following him? It was a well-known secret that he wanted Quirrell's position teaching Defense against the Dark Arts. Could this be part of some conspiracy on his part? Was this sudden flash of pain connected to them? It hit just before Snape appeared, but she couldn't remember what Professor Quirrell was doing at that instant. Had he turned around, possibly even in her direction? She wasn't sure.

As they moved away and the pain finally faded, she had a choice between going after them and going to bed. On this one occasion, she followed the more reasonable option and headed back into the castle. She added investigating the two professors to her list of things to do. Between classes, homework, investigating professors, testing Uncle Tony's technology, forming a new group of Marauders, exploring and finding creative ways around the rules, she was going to have a busy year.

Slipping back into the room, she found Hermione sleeping a little fitfully in an overstuffed chair next to the open curtains of her bed. Jamie figured the other girl must not have been quite as asleep as she thought. She must have seen her turn invisible before she slipped out. Looking at her, Jamie sighed and gently shook her new friend awake.

"Wake up, sleepy. It's time for both of us to go to bed."

Hermione jumped. "Where did you go? Please tell me you didn't get caught."

"I didn't get caught," she assured her friend. "I was too wired to sleep so I stepped outside to make a couple calls back home. No harm, no foul."

She took the communicator out of her pocket and put it away, but Hermione must've seen the Avengers symbol." Where did you get that? Is it real? I saw the Avengers on the telly using them during their battle with Ultron a few months back."

Jamie rolled her eyes, but smiled. "It was a gift and, yes, it's real. I'll explain it all in the morning. For now, I'll just tell you that Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, is my godmother. Now go to bed. We both need to get our sleep if we want to be able to stay awake in class tomorrow."

Hermione's mouth dropped open and her eyes became as big as saucers, but she finally nodded and both girls went to their respective beds. Jamie fell asleep quickly, but had a strange dream about being chased through the dark halls of a magical castle by a man with two faces. She somehow knew that the castle was Hogwarts and one of the man's faces was annoyingly familiar. She just couldn't quite place it. The other face was hidden, but she somehow knew it was there. She woke up annoyed, rolled over and went back to sleep; a deep dreamless sleep.


	3. 03: Snape, Hagrid & Sweet Catnip

**Third Edition Writer's Notes: There shouldn't be as many changes in this or the next chapter, with the biggest additions coming in chapters five and six, but there could be some.**

 **Holdover from the Second Edition Writer's Notes: I added some scenes to this chapter, including Jamie's first encounter with Fluffy and her first exposure to catnip. The latter is an idea I got from the first story I ever read on FanFic, but can no longer find. It was a Potter-Ranma crossover called "A Touch of Wild Magic". Like I've often said plagiarism is the highest form of flattery . . . at least as long as credit is given where it's due. That being the case, I also want to make sure I accredit Nimbus Llewelyn, author of the recently finished Potter-Avengers crossover "Child of the Storm", which I can't recommend strongly enough. Read his story and you'll see why; both why I mention him and why I recommend his story so strongly.**

 **Chapter 3: "Snape, Hagrid and Sweet Catnip"**

The next morning in a break between breakfast and their first class, History of Magic, Jamie pulled Hermione aside and quickly filled her in on her relationship with the Avengers. "You seem to know quite a bit about the Avengers. Have you heard about a guy called Grim? That's with one M, not to like the Thing."

"I think I may have heard of him," Hermione admitted, "but I couldn't tell you much about him."

"He's a part-time hero who helps the Avengers against primarily magical threats. He's not very well known, because he spent most of his time raising me."

"Sirius Black is the superhero, Grim?"

"Yup." Jamie laughed. "I'll ask you to keep all of this to yourself. The last thing I need is for the rest of the school to find out. I'm already more than enough of a celebrity being "the girl that lived" and the first pooka to attend Hogwarts. I'm not ashamed of what I am and I'm not going to hide anything, but that doesn't mean I want to rub everyone's noses in it."

Jamie found her classes both interesting and challenging . . . for the most part. Astronomy class after dinner on Wednesdays was mostly challenging, but her friendship with Jane Foster helped prepare her to handle it. History of Magic was taught by Professor Binns, who died in his sleep while taking a nap in the teachers' lounge more than ten years earlier, but didn't let it stop him from continuing to teach his classes. He droned on in a monotone and often got names confused, but he did have an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject.

Herbology was held in the gardens behind the castle and was one of the only classes were poor Neville managed to shine. That didn't mean he didn't screw up, just that he managed to have flashes of brilliance in between disasters.

Jamie's favorite classes, however, were the two where Hermione was regularly better than her. In Charms, tiny Professor Flitwick almost fell off his stool when he read her name on the role. Had the fact that she was starting this year slipped his mind? The only thing she learned from her first class was that she had a lot to learn. Hermione was the only one in the class who managed to pull off the simple charm they were assigned.

Transfigurations class with Professor McGonagall was actually worse. They were trying to turn matchsticks into needles. No one succeeded, but Hermione got a rare smile and praise from their stern instructor for making her matchstick shiny, silver and sharp. All Jamie managed to accomplish was causing two matches to explode. At least they were impressive explosions; lots of flame and fury, and fortunately not a lot of shrapnel. Funny, in Charms, that was what they were trying to do to a small sheet of paper.

Defense against the Dark Arts was actually the only class where she had a real chance to be better than Hermione. Padfoot; Moonie; Moonie's fiancée, Tonks; and Wanda all excelled at the class when they were at Hogwarts. Each of them taught her a lot and Wanda's friends, Stephen Strange and Agatha Harkness, taught her even more. It was the subject she looked forward to even more than the others. Too bad it was such a disappointment.

Professor Quirrell seem to be afraid of his own shadow and the stench of garlic that permeated the room and his person had her leaving class with a major headache and nausea. The story was, he'd had a fight with a vampire and it broke his spirit. At least the textbook was informative.

Thursday morning, the Gryffindor First Years were scheduled to have a double Potions class with the Slytherin First Years. As head of house for Slytherin, Professor Snape tended to favor them and seemed to have an inordinate dislike for Gryffindors. Fortunately, it was another class that Jamie had a bit of a leg up in.

When Snape took role and reached Jamie's name he made a snide comment about her being a celebrity. He then went into a brief rant that praised the wonders of Potions and demeaned most of his past students.

Finishing with that, he pounced on Jamie like a hawk on a gopher. "Miss Potter, tell me what the differences are between monkshood and wolfsbane."

It was a trick question, but Jamie knew the answer. "There isn't any difference, Professor. They're the same plant also called aconite. It's considered an effective weapon against werewolves, but most people don't realize it only works if you mix it with several other herbs and powdered silver."

If Snape was surprised, he hid it behind a sneer. "That was an easy one. Where would you go if I told you to get me a bezoar?"

Jamie frowned. Why was he targeting her so singularly? Hermione was almost putting her shoulder out of joint raising her hand.

She sighed. "A bezoar is a stone from the stomach of a goat. It protects you from most poisons. What's less known is that it also protects you from love potions, which I guess is a poison of a different kind."

Snape nodded, still unimpressed. "What would you get if you add powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

She had to think on that one. "It's a really powerful sleep potion, if I remember right. It has a name, but I can't remember what it is. I do know that if you personalize it with part of the person you intend to give it to, you get something a lot worse. Blood works best, but hair or just about anything else would also work. My godfather called it 'the coward's Imperiatus'. It's a love potion that robs the subject of their will. Use of it is considered rape by the Ministry."

He finally turned to the rest of the class. "The sleep potion is known as 'the Drought of Living Death'. Well. Why aren't you writing this information down? I don't ask these questions for my health."

Later, they were put in pairs and set to brew a reasonably simple, but multistage, potion for curing boils Snape stalked the room viciously pointing out the flaws in just about everything the students were doing. The only student to escape his ire was Draco Malfoy. Snape even went so far as to praise the boy as an example to the rest of the class.

Jamie was teamed with Ron, who seemed a little daunted by their task, so she whispered some encouragement to him. "Relax, Ron. Don't look at the whole thing. Take it step-by-step. It's like following a recipe."

He smiled weakly, but remained less than convinced. "Recipes usually don't blow up if you do something wrong."

She laughed quietly. "Then just don't make any mistakes. Everything we need is right here. The rest is just technique. If Malfoy can do this it can't be all that tough. I don't know about you, but I'm not letting him show me up."

About halfway through the process, they were supposed to take the cauldron off the heat and stir in some porcupine quills. Jamie measured them out and decided to grind them up a bit to make it easier to mix them in. She was slowly stirring them in when she heard something wrong from where Seamus and Neville were working next to them. She looked over just in time to see Neville pouring needles into the cauldron that was still on the fire.

Even as she realized the sound she heard was the mixture going critical, the pewter cauldron was already beginning to melt. She knew she only had an instant to react. She lifted off, grabbed both boys by the collar and pulled them away just as the unstable mixture exploded, yelling a warning to the others around them as she did so.

A noxious stench emanated from the green cloud that rose from the clump of metal that had been a cauldron. The spoiled concoction was starting to eat through the table and floor causing students who couldn't get out of the affected area to cower on their stools. Having saved Neville and Seamus, Jamie airlifted Ron and two others so trapped.

Snape cleared the disgusting mess with a quick spell, then descended on Neville. "Idiot boy, you never add porcupine quills to this potion while it's still on the heat. Don't you even know how to read?"

Then he turned to Jamie. "And you, couldn't help playing hero and grabbing attention. Two points from Gryffindor for showing off and for flying in my classroom."

Jamie was too busy taking off her robes, which had been splattered and were being eaten through to pay much attention to anything else until she felt a burning pain in her tail. Checking it, she bit back a cry of pain and choked back tears as small agonizing boils began erupting along the tip.

"Get to Madame Pomfrey immediately," Snape instructed her with just the slightest hint of sympathy in his voice.

By the time she returned to class, the rest of the students had left, so she confronted Snape in his office. "Excuse me, Professor."

"What do you want?" He was no less gruff one-on-one. "Mr. Weasley was able to finish your project adequately and can fill you in on the homework assignment."

"Actually, Sir," she told him evenly. "I wanted to talk to you for a moment. I know your relationship with my father was adversarial."

Snape sneered. "Your father and his cohorts made my life a living hell."

She nodded. "Sirius told me they were particularly hard on you. He said many times you got what you deserved and you often gave as well as you got, but that didn't forgive some of things they did. He changed a lot when my parents were murdered and he became responsible for raising me."

She took an envelope out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Most of this is in here, but he wanted to apologize and thank you for everything you tried to do to stop Voldemort that night. He'd be here to tell you that himself, but he can never come back to Britain. He doesn't think he could even return if the Ministry pardoned him; too many bad memories."

She swallowed loudly. "I wanted to thank you too."

Setting the letter aside for the moment, Snape silently conjured a handkerchief and handed it to Jamie to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.

"Thank you, sir," she said as he banished the now used piece of cloth. "That's all I wanted to say."

He stopped her. "Crushing the quills before adding them showed superior technique, Miss Potter. Two points to Gryffindor."

Figuring that was as close to an apology as she was going to get, Jamie left, faded and flew back to the Gryffindor dorms. Back in his office, Severus Snape wiped a tear from his own eye and considered the envelope for a moment before opening it.

"Severus," the letter began, "Jamie thinks this letter includes most of the same information I asked her to tell you. She's partially right. I do regret some of the crueler things we did to you all those years ago and I will be eternally grateful for the things you tried to do that horrible night."

Snape never dreamed one of his long time adversaries would ever say those words, much less put them in writing. "My real purpose, however, is to ask you not to subconsciously take our past out on Jamie. Whatever sins her father or I may have committed against you she is an innocent."

He hated admitting it, but he knew Sirius was right. "I also want to assure you that I have kept and always will keep your secret. Jamie will never find out, from me at least, the real reason why you took such risks to stop V that night. Remus and Wanda don't even know. Nor do they know it was you who helped me hunt down Peter the next day. Thank you for all you've done. You do the Order proud."

Destroying the letter in the fire he kept burning in his fireplace, Severus sat down and wrote what would be the first of many letters to be exchanged over the course of the next seven years. He had to admit the girl showed as much potential as his own godson, Draco.

When Jamie got back to the dorm, an owl was waiting for her with a scrawled note inviting her to visit Hagrid at his cottage on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She sent her reply on the back of the note. Since she had the afternoon free, she'd be happy to drop by.

At lunch, she sat with Hermione and the other First Year girls. Ron and the other First Year boys sat across from them.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you," Seamus told her. "Neville or I could have been hurt pretty seriously."

She smiled winningly. "You're more than welcome. Were you able to get a second shot at the project?"

He nodded, not sure how to read the smile. "Luckily, we had just enough time and supplies to turn something in. I'm not sure how good of a grade we'll get, but it has to be better than zero."

She turned to Ron. "Thank you for finishing without me."

He waved it off. "You did most of the work. I just followed the instructions and your lead. The homework is identifying properties and uses of a list of stuff he gave us."

"Great," she told him. "I'll get the list from you or Hermione after dinner. Maybe we can even work on it together."

"Who taught you about potions?" Hermione asked. "A lot of the things you talked about in your answers aren't in any of the books I've read."

She shrugged. "I grew up with four Gryffindors as surrogate parents; not to mention four other powerful wizard as friends: Dr. Stephen Strange and his girlfriend/apprentice, Clea, Dr. Jericho Drumm and Agatha Harkness. And Agatha probably forgot more about potions than Professor Snape ever learned . . . and that's saying a lot."

Several people looked at Jamie in shock, but it was Hermione who put it into words. "Agatha . . . Harkness? You know Agatha Harkness?"

Jamie looked around and realize she just name dropped again. "She makes the best butterscotch cookies."

Seeing it didn't help, Jamie sighed. "Look, guys. I don't really know what she is to British wizarding society. To me, she's a sweet little old lady who bakes cookies, sips tea and is probably the best babysitter ever. She told great bedtime stories."

She laughed. "Some of the people I grew up around may be great heroes or legends to the rest of the world. To me, they're my extended family of wonderful surrogate aunts and uncles. I don't see them as bigger than life paragons. I can never see them that way. It's hard to think of Thor as a god when you've seen him sprawled out in an easy chair, boots off, feet propped up on a coffee table, sound asleep, snoring loud enough to shake the walls and drooling just a little."

That image broke the tension just a bit as several others envisioned it in their minds and started laughing, then turned back to their food.

She hadn't wanted word about the Avengers to spread, but although Hermione and Percy knew the value of the secret, Ron and the twins apparently did not. So many stories about her and the team were spreading around the dorm, that by Tuesday night, she'd been forced to sit the whole house down in the common room and set the record straight.

"So, yeah," Ron said, a little guilty for his role in her outing. "We can work together on our homework for Snape's class. You sure put him in his place with those answers."

She shook her head. "He's not so bad. He asked me three questions I could have known the answers to. He may have been trying to catch me up, but he wasn't being unfair. I've worked with aconite before and while she was at Hogwarts, my mother had encounters with both that potion and with bezoars."

She saw the unasked questions in the eyes of several of the others. "No. That's not a story I'm ever going to tell. Let's just say that anyone I catch messing around with love potions is going to wake up in St. Mungo's."

Her expression left no question as to her meaning. "Anyway, back to Professor Snape. He was in the same class with my parents. My father and godfather were particularly . . . hard on him. I'm not sure of all the details, but it seems to have gone a lot deeper than the normal Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry. There was a lot of bad blood."

She pushed her empty plate away and finished the last of her milk before nabbing one last piece of cheese. "I talked to him after class. I gave him a letter Padfoot gave me for him. I'm not saying he's going to start favoring Gryffindor over Slytherin, but I think I cleared the air a bit."

She leaned forward so only the First Years around her could hear. "You must never say anything about this to anyone . . . that means you especially, Ron, but he gave us two points for my 'technique' in grinding up the porcupine quills before stirring them in. It's not a lot, but it counters the points he took away during class. I figure it's as close to an apology as I'll ever get."

As nods of agreement, looks of shock and promises of secrecy (I really mean it this time) spread through the group, she got up. "Since we have the afternoon off, I was invited over to the groundskeeper's cottage. It's right on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, so I could hardly turn him down. Anyone else want to get out of the castle for a few? He probably wouldn't mind a couple extra guests. He helped me with my school shopping and actually bought Ororo as a belated birthday gift for me."

Ororo sat contentedly in Jamie's arms, cleaning her paws and face after devouring some yummy treats her human slipped to her.

"I'll go if ya don't mind," Ron spoke up. "He's been a friend of the family since before Charlie and Bill attended here."

"You're on." Jamie smiled at him. "Anyone else?"

"I want to get a head start on my History of Magic homework," Hermione told her as the others seemed less than interested as well.

Jamie turned to Ron. "I'll meet you in an hour at the main entrance. Did I tell you he found my father's wand after Voldemort killed my folks and saved it for ten years? He gave it to me at Ollivander's."

She showed it to them. "He's such a dear. It's not even just because he knew my parents. He'd do it for anyone. It's just who he is."

Before heading out, Jamie went up to her room and put Ororo in the enchanted pet carrier. Then, she checked her e-mail on the Starktech laptop Tony gave her to test. True to the hype, it worked wonderfully even in the extremely magical castle. Given the way magic and technology usually interfered with each other that was a wonder in itself. It was amazing to her that only five years earlier everyone had such a good laugh when the laptop he built for her sixth birthday melted down in a flashy array of sparks and a cloud of smoke.

To tell the truth, she was a little bit disappointed when she found out it wasn't supposed to do that. The sparks had been pretty. Five years of prototypes and hard work later had produced the magic resistant tech she was now testing for him.

In addition to the communicator and the laptop, she had a pocket calculator that was actually powered by ambient magic, an MP3 player with a terabyte worth of music, a holo-projector that picked up TV programs from around the world and even played DVDs, in addition to a flashlight, an alarm clock and a half dozen other widgets. So far, they all seem to work extremely well.

Tony would be beside himself. He already had ideas for a whole branch of Stark Industries that would market technology to the magical community. He even wanted Sirius to head the division.

Checking the clock on her computer, she put it away and headed down to meet Ron. It was a warm, sunny day at Hogwarts with a few patchy white clouds and a brisk, cool breeze. It was about as close to a perfect day as Britain ever saw. The pair skirted the lake and crossed the great lawn past the Quidditch field towards the small cottage about a half-mile from the school.

It was a simple, rustic structure, with a fenced garden on one side, the edge of the forest on the other and an assortment of tools neatly scattered in front. Smoke rose from the smokestack and the building was obviously built for someone of Hagrid's size.

When Jamie knocked on the door, a large dog inside started barking. "Hush, Fang. They're guests. Be nice."

As soon as the large door opened, a large wolfhound bounded past Hagrid to greet the kids. Ron jumped back a bit, but Jamie stepped forward, caught the dog's massive paws and gently supported his weight so his tongue wouldn't drench her face. The dog's tail was wagging a mile a minute.

"Well, hello there, you big sweetheart," Jamie greeted the creature affectionately as Ron recovered.

"Git down, Fang!" Hagrid greeted the pair. "Welcome t' my home, kids. Come on in. Fang won't bother ye none. He wouldna harm a flea."

Inside, the house was lit brightly through the many windows. The main room had a sturdy table with several chairs, a big easy chair to one side with its own reading lamp, a small kitchen area and a massive fireplace with a teapot hanging over the fire.

Everything was handmade, but showed a quality only produced by masters with a high attention to detail and a love of their art. Another door led to a bedroom with its own bathroom and exit to the backyard. It was a very cozy and airy place.

They sat around the table as Hagrid played host. His rock cakes were too hard to eat, but not too bad if you soaked them in the tea first. Fang laid down with his head in Jamie's lap; after greeting Ron with a massive face licking, of course. She wisely laid a folded cloth napkin under his head to catch any drool. It left her free to scratch his head without ruining her second set of robes in a day.

He asked them all about their classes and seemed genuinely interested in their lives. In turn, he reminisced about his time as a student and his memories of their parents. He had several amusing anecdotes about other peoples' first weeks that both had them giggling and feeling better about their own misadventures.

Hagrid may not have been the smartest graduate of Hogwarts, in fact he joked that he probably had the lowest OWLs and NEWT's of any graduate in the school's history. What he had was loyalty and bravery and honesty and an ability to make people feel better about themselves.

"I don't normally tell folks about this," he mused, "but I was almost thrown out of school in my third year. I got accused of something I didn't do. Professor Dumbledore, bless his heart, intervened and proved I wasn't responsible. I owe that man everything."

As they talked, Jamie noticed a clipping Hagrid apparently had taken from a community newspaper. It had fallen to the floor next to her chair and the headline caught her eye.

"Break-In at Gringott's Bank"

She noticed the date. It happened the same day she arrived in London and visited the bank. A number of her surrogate uncles and aunts were skilled investigators and detectives. They taught her a lot about inductive and deductive reasoning. In an instant, she remembered Hagrid's errand for the school.

The article said that although the would-be robbers had yet to be caught, the goblins wanted to assure the magical community that they had failed and left empty handed. Apparently the vault they tried to access had actually been emptied earlier that day.

She kept it to herself, but she made the intuitive jump. Could it be the vault was empty because Hagrid took what was in there and it was now in the forbidden east side of the third level of Hogwarts? She had to admit she might be wrong, but the pieces seemed to fit a little too well.

Clint always told her, "Never ignore your gut, kid. Don't rely on it solely, but never ignore it."

When Jamie didn't show up for dinner that night, her friends were concerned. When she still couldn't be found after curfew, Hermione knocked on Percy's door and told him. Percy roused all the Gryffindors to see who the last person to see her was and how long she'd actually been missing.

"We visited Hagrid this afternoon," Ron told his brother. "Spent a couple hours with him. Last I saw, Jamie was heading back to her room."

A check of the other First Year girls confirmed that none of them had gone back to their room between dinner and lunch. Hermione had been the library all afternoon. Parvati spent the hours in the yard enjoying the sun with her sister, Padma. Lavender was doing several things and spent a lot of her time in the Gryffindor common room, but didn't see Jamie and didn't happen to go back to the room the girls shared.

Percy's next step was to check out the room itself. That's when he found the remains of the bag of magically condensed, dried and preserved catnip. It had been kicked under Jamie's bed, but traces of it were all over the bed and floor around it. He also found Jamie's robes and clothes under the bed. Percy didn't know what to think of any of this, but he figured he'd better contact Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster. A missing student wasn't something to ignore.

"Everyone back to bed," he told the others. "I'm going to go find help. It's probably nothing, but I'm going to get word to the Headmaster. We'll find Jamie and have her back in the dorm before breakfast."

He wasn't nearly as certain as he sounded. In fact, he was worried; both over the thought of what sort of trouble could have befallen Jamie Potter and over how this mess would reflect on him. Prefects weren't supposed to lose students. These kids were his responsibility.

Half walking, half running, Percy made his way to the door of Professor McGonagall's quarters and knocked determinedly until she responded. "Mr. Weasley, what on Earth are you doing pounding on my door at this hour?"

She was dressed in a nightgown and robe and her gray hair, normally in a bun, was hanging down to her waist.

"I'm sorry, Professor," he stammered. "Jamie Potter is missing. She wasn't at dinner and Hermione Granger came to get me when she was still missing at curfew. I asked all the other Gryffindors. No one's seen her since this afternoon when she and my brother, Ron, went to visit Mr. Hagrid. I don't know that it has anything to do with anything, but when I checked her room, I found the remains of a bag of catnip that had been torn open. It was under her bed and traces were on her bed and on the floor around it. A robe and some clothes were also balled up under there. They looked like they'd been removed in a hurry."

Minerva wasn't certain what to make of any of this either. It didn't bode well, however. She left her quarters, securing the door behind her.

"Go back to the dormitory, Percy. I'll find Professor Dumbledore and some of the others we'll start a search and try to locate her."

Her first stop after sending Percy back to bed was Professor Dumbledore's quarters, but he wasn't in, so she went to find Professor Flitwick. "Sorry to disturb you, Filius, but we have a missing student. Jamie Potter hasn't been seen since before dinner. Albus isn't in his quarters, but I would have been informed if he left the campus. I'm going to continue looking for him. Could you gather the rest of the staff and start a search of the castle? Given Miss Potter's unique nature, I'm very concerned because a broken bag of catnip was found under her bed along with her clothes."

The diminutive professor nodded quickly and took off at a scamper to start gathering as many adults as he could find. They actually had procedures for just this sort of incident, but hadn't had to resort to them since the disappearance of the poor girl who became the ghost, Moaning Myrtle. He certainly hoped this incident didn't turn out anything like that one had.

Leaving the main search in Flitwick's capable hands, Minerva transformed into a cat and began to hunt. Her senses in her animal form were far superior to her human senses. Even though cats weren't predominantly known as trackers, she could certainly find and follow a trail. In this case, Dumbledore's led outside and towards the forest.

She found him holding an animated conversation with Firenze and some of the others centaurs and turned back into human on the run. "Professor, we have a problem. Jamie Potter is missing."

He nodded. "That would explain what the centaurs just told me, Minerva. A female pooka has been spotted running naked through the Forbidden Forest. Seems she's been terrorizing the creatures living there."

Minerva's hand went to her mouth. "Percy Weasley came to find me. He told me he found her clothes and a ripped open bag of magically condensed catnip beneath her bed. You don't think . . . ?"

Dumbledore frowned. "I don't know, Minerva, but it could be an explanation. Sirius and the others never reported her having a reaction to catnip before, but it could just be that she hadn't encountered it until now. If she's under the influence of such a drug, she's not responsible for her actions and given some of Jamie's abilities, that is quite concerning."

"We'll search the forest," Firenze promised. "Pooka have been known to give in to their animal natures under the influence of such things. If she was exposed several hours ago, she should be starting to come down by now. If she's out here, we'll find her."

Professor Sprout flew up at that point riding a broom. "Professors, gentle beings, several of the paintings in the castle report seeing the child running naked through the halls as recently as an hour ago. They say she didn't seem to be in her right mind . . . as if her state of undress wasn't enough of a clue."

Dumbledore nodded; finally a bit of good news. "We believe she's under the influence of catnip, Pomona. It appears she may never have encountered it before. Tell Poppy to see if she can't prepare something to help the child when she comes down off the effects. At least she's inside the castle now. When she returns to her senses, she's going to be extremely disoriented. We need to find her quickly. Her powers are impressive, but she's still a child and there are more than a few dangerous places in our venerable old school."

Even as Dumbledore spoke those words, Jamie had indeed stumbled onto one of those dangerous places; the third floor corridor on the right side of the castle. She was still in a daze, but slowly starting to regain the vestiges of common sense. It had all started innocently enough. She got back from visiting with Hagrid and decided to crack out the catnip to see how Ororo liked it. The bag was a little tougher than she expected, so she put a little strength behind it. A little too much, it seemed. The bag ripped and catnip flew everywhere . . . including right up her nose.

She didn't remember a lot after that; just flashes and bits. Playing in the forest had been fun. Those giant spiders had been a bit scary, but a bit of a disappointment, really. After she squished the first hundred or so, the rest of them didn't want to play anymore.

Flying through the lake was fun too and got the spider guts washed off. She couldn't breathe under water, but Steve and Natasha had taught her some tricks to hold it longer than most. Some of the creatures down there had been downright boring. They hadn't attacked her though, so she left them alone. It was almost like someone had warned them.

Finally, something in the very back of her befuddled mind told her it was time to go inside. The word curfew never quite got through, of course, but inside did. It was almost as much fun playing with the ghosts as it had been playing in the forest, but she must have traumatized Peeves, because for the next several weeks he would take one look at her and run off crying. He never told anyone what it was, of course, and Jamie would never be able to quite remember.

After a bit, the thought of the off limits section of the castle broke through her fog. It should have been a warning, but in her addlepated state, it came off as more of a challenge. She was getting bored when she found the locked door. That was promising. She phased through it and found a new "friend". The three headed dog was huge as it growled at her and drooled.

"Hey there, cutie," she said, slurring her words almost indecipherably. "Whass y'r name?"

All three of the dog's heads cocked to the side as it considered her. Most people were terrified of it. That it was used to. Only its friend, Hagrid, had treated it nicely. Until now, at least. It took a sniff with its central head, only to have it pass through the girl.

She giggled. "That kinda tickles."

She reached up and scratched the ears of its right side head. "I'm Jamie. Who're you?"

 _Hagrid named me Fluffy,_ was the thought that broke through the animal empathy.

Jamie found that quite amazing. Animals usually communicated in images more than words. This Fluffy must have been an extremely intelligent creature indeed. She was considering opening the door and letting Fluffy out to play when she heard familiar voices calling her name.

"I'll be righ' back, Fluffy." She phased back out through the door and quickly found Professor Snape who was looking for her.

When Snape saw Jamie, she was quite a sight. The dip in the lake hadn't cleaned her completely. Her hair was plastered to her head. Her tail was a sight with all kinds of twigs and bits sticking in it.

"Do put on some clothes, child," was the first thing that came to his mind.

"Hey, Perfesser Snapysnape." She laughed. "Wanna play?"

"Most certainly not!" The idea was almost as preposterous as the child's state.

"Hokay." She shrugged. "I'll go play w' Fluffy s'm more, then."

Professor McGonagall came around a corner and approached Jamie slowly from behind, keeping her voice calm so she would aggravate the child. "You're out after curfew, Jamie. You should be in bed."

"Oops!" That seemed to just barely get through Jamie's fog. "Am I in trouble?"

McGonagall smiled and conjured a large blanket, which she wrapped around Jamie. "I think we can let you off with a warning, just this once. Don't you, Professor Snape."

"Just this once." He tried to sound sour, but failed miserably. If she was nothing else, Jamie Potter was an engaging child. She'd even managed to get through his tough outer shell. So like her parents . . . like Lily, and yet so different. "Don't make it a habit, though. I don't think the castle could survive too many outings like this from you."

Professor McGonagall put an arm gently around Jamie's shoulders as Jamie became solid and permitted herself to be wrapped in the blanket and picked up in her Head of House's surprisingly strong arms. "Let's get you to Madame Pomfrey, then to bed, I think. You've had quite the adventure today."

"Okay, P'rfesser." Jamie had to admit that she was suddenly surprisingly tired.

She was asleep by the time they got her to the infirmary and all the staff breathed a sigh of relief; none so much as Dumbledore himself. "Let's make sure that any catnip left behind in her room is cleaned up. The house elves did a general cleaning when they found it, but I'd rather there be no traces left. We should probably have her bedding replaced and cleaned as well."

He smiled fondly at the sleeping child who had unwittingly caused so much trouble this day. "I don't think we'll need to worry about her willingly exposing herself to the stuff again, but I should probably contact her godparents and warn them of her reaction. I believe I'll wait until the morning to do so, however. No reason to disturb their sleep now that the incident is over."

Having already administered a modified hangover cure, Poppy Pomfrey was supporting the unconscious and now nightgown clad girl and combing out her hair and tail. "I doubt she'll remember much of what happened. That's probably a good thing, too. Did she do too much damage?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Some of the more exotic residents of the forest may be a while recovering, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The merfolk decided to avoid her when the grindylows ran away from her. I'd hate to think what would have happened if she'd gotten into a fight with them in her state."

He considered and then warned the rest of the staff, all of whom were actually present. "I don't think it should be necessary for any of us to bring up anything about this night that she doesn't remember on her own . . . unless she asks you directly, of course. In that case, I ask you to be gentle. She's already likely to be embarrassed enough without anyone else reminding her of what happened."

The staff all agreed, of course; even Mr. Filch. He would send an owl to Minister Fudge, however. This was the kind of situation the Minister had asked to be kept apprised of. As loyal as Filch was to Hogwarts, he certainly agreed with the Minister's opinion that a somewhat stricter hand needed to be applied to some of the more . . . recalcitrant students. The Weasley twins were at the top of his list, but given who her father was, Jamie Potter, wasn't very far down on it.


	4. 04: Marauders

**Third Edition** **Writer's Notes: I have one major Ilvermorny and MACUSA related change planned for this chapter. As noted in my previous edition Writer's Notes, in this chapter, I reference chaos magic. A story entitled, Harry Potter and the Invincible TechnoMage, by Clell65619, had Harry being adopted by Tony Stark. The chaos magic idea and the Stark Industries Division of Magical Technology were both inspired by that story. For that matter, so is Jamie's way of dealing with the Halloween troll encounter. I thought the original story was never finished and was abandoned years ago until I recently went looking and rediscovered it. It was last updated in January of this year.**

 **Chapter 4: "Marauders"**

When Jamie woke up in the nurse's office, she was mortified by what fractured memories she had of the previous day and wasn't at all certain she wanted to remember any more.

"You're not in any trouble, Jamie," Dumbledore assured her. "No permanent damage was done and no one blames you for something you had no control over. I don't think I need to warn you about exposing yourself to catnip again, however."

"That stuff's evil, Professor," she insisted. "I can't believe I went flying around naked all evening and night. I'm so humiliated."

Back in her room, as she prepared for the day, her roommates' reactions went a long way to easing her discomfort. The fact that neither they nor any of her fellow Gryffindor's knew more than the fact that she'd had a bad reaction to something and spent the night in the infirmary. Then none of her professors mentioned it, much less treated her any differently than they always did. None of the students outside of Gryffindor even seemed to know that anything had happened.

That evening at dinner, Jamie slipped messages to the twins. "Marauder meeting tonight in Room of Requirement one hour after curfew. It's high time we were up to no good."

She caught their reactions confirming receipt of the messages, but was fairly sure no one else saw them. Their leaking of her own secrets aside, the twins hadn't gotten away with as much as they had without being able to play things close to their vests. In light of the previous evening, she seriously considered delaying her plans, but decided to go ahead with them. The sooner she got the new Marauders started and training, the better.

That left Jamie with a quandary, however; Hermione. Ever since her adventures the first night, her friend had been keeping a close eye on her. Her disappearance the day before hadn't helped. She knew she could easily enough slip away from the girl, but she wasn't sure it would be fair. Besides, she felt that someone with Hermione's intelligence could be a real asset to the Marauders. If only she could overcome the girl's aversion to breaking rules.

After dinner, Jamie pulled Hermione aside. "I'm going to be out after curfew again tonight. Just thought I ought to tell you. Last night aside, I have some things I need to do and they won't all fit in during normal hours."

Hermione was about to cite the rules, but Jamie cut her off. "I know what I'm doing and I won't be caught. I'm only telling you because you're my friend and I know you've been watching me. I didn't want to do this behind your back."

"Why?" Hermione asked. "Why are you going?"

Jamie smiled mischievously. "I'm up to no good."

Hermione frowned disapprovingly.

"Actually," Jamie admitted, "I've been planning on re-forming the Marauders since I got here. I'm meeting with the Weasley twins tonight. This time it's going to be different. We're not just going to pull pranks and have fun. Oh, there will be plenty of both, of course, but a lot more. I grew up under the tutelage of some of the greatest wizards in America and, you know what, most of them don't use or need wands. Guess what they taught me. Guess what I can teach you if you come with me tonight."

Hermione blinked at her in shock. "You want me?"

Jamie knew she had Hermione hooked. "You're my friend, Mione. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have at my side. You're also the smartest kid in Gryffindor; maybe even the whole school. If anyone can master this, you can. Besides, I need someone to rein in the rest of us if we get careless. The twins never consider repercussions and I can forget about them too if I'm not careful. We need someone to point out the holes in our plans that will get us caught."

Hermione looked around as if expecting someone to be listening in on the conversation. "I can't become invisible or do all the stuff you can and I'm not as sneaky as the twins. I'll get caught."

"No," Jamie promised. "You won't. Come with me."

Jamie half led, half dragged Hermione back to their room, then rummaged through her trunk until she extracted a flat box. "This belonged to my Dad. Padfoot gave it to me just before I left for England. He said he knew I didn't need it, but figured I could find some use for it anyway."

She opened the box, showing Hermione the gossamer cloth inside. "It's an invisibility cloak. Padfoot says it adjusts to size, from one small person like me to up to two adults or three kids. You wear it and follow; I'll clear the way for you to the Room of Requirement."

Hermione looked up from admiring the amazing cloak. "The Room of Requirement? What's that? There was no mention of something like that in 'Hogwarts: A History' or any of the other books I read."

"There wouldn't be." Jamie flopped down on her bed as Ororo pounced on her for a cuddle. "There are a lot of secrets about Hogwarts that don't make it into books; hidden passages, secret rooms and a whole lot more. The original Marauders found all kinds of things. The Room is up on the seventh level. It can only be found by someone who needs it, becomes what that person needs and can only be accessed by people who fit the rules the discoverer establishes. I set it up earlier today to only be accessible by Marauders. I inducted the twins the day after the Sorting Ceremony. Now I'd like to add you if you're up for it. This will be our first meeting. I'll be recruiting others as we go along. I'll explain why at the meeting."

Hermione bit her lip guiltily. She wasn't a natural born rule breaker. She was a proper and obedient young lady. She always did what was expected of her and more. This went contrary to everything she ever believed herself to be, but . . . a whole new way of doing magic. It was something she couldn't pass up.

"I'll go with you tonight," she said finally. "I'm not promising to join this . . . club, but someone has to keep you out of trouble."

Hermione spent the rest of the evening trying vainly to study, but all she could think about was what would happen if they got caught. By the time the hour arrived, it was all she could do to hold back her rising sense of panic. When Jamie finally put her own book aside and nodded, Hermione was almost relieved. They checked quickly to make sure Parvati and Lavender were sound asleep, then quietly slipped out of the room.

In the common room, Hermione put on the invisibility cloak and started to open the door, but Jamie stopped her. "Let me look outside and make sure the hall is clear."

Jamie phased through the wall and checked both ways down the hall. No one was in sight, not even one of the ghosts. Once Hermione joined her, Jamie took point and guided her friend with whispers.

On the fifth level, they ran into the Fat Friar, the patron ghost of Hufflepuff. Hermione almost lost it when he stopped right next to her looking around like he thought he heard something, but then he moved on and both girls breathed a sigh of relief.

On the seventh level, right around the corner from their destination, however, their luck ran out. Mrs. Norris, Mr. Filch's cat was prowling around. Whatever she saw, the grumpy caretaker inevitably found out. Jamie decided it was time to deal with this issue once and for all.

"Wait here," she whispered to Hermione, then became visible and tangible and walked confidently around the corner.

Hermione didn't exactly hear or see what happened, but after a moment, Jamie called out. "You can come out. The problem's taken care of."

When Hermione stepped around the corner, Jamie was seated on the floor with Mrs. Norris on her lap on her back, purring to beat the band. When the twins stepped out of hiding a moment later all three looked at Jamie in awe.

"She really is a sweet little thing," Jamie told them as she scratched the purring cat's chin. "It's just that no one's ever treated her with respect except Mr. Filch. Poor thing, she's so dreadfully lonely and dying for affection. I've taken to carrying some cat treats in the pocket of my robes for just such a situation."

"Won't she still tell Filch?" Fred asked, cautiously. "She tells him everything."

"Nah," Jamie promised. "She won't tell him anything, will you, Mrs. Norris?"

The cat looked up at her lovingly and meowed.

"Like my friend Logan says," she told them. "Me and animals we got an understanding."

She lifted the cat up and put it on its feet. "You go on about your business now, Mrs. Norris, and remember, you never saw us. In the morning, I'm sure we'll all hold something special out for you from breakfast, okay."

The cat licked and nuzzled Jamie's hand and wandered off purring contentedly without looking back.

Jamie flipped up to her feet and opened the door to the Room of Requirement. "Let's get inside. We have a lot to talk about."

Inside, they were greeted by a bare chamber with large pillows scattered about and several dummies and sparring equipment along the far wall. The twins looked around questioningly, but said nothing as they collapsed on pillows and waited for Jamie to tell them what she had in mind.

"As you all know," she started as she and Hermione took seats a little more daintily, "my father was one of the original Marauders and I was raised by two of the others. Years ago, I decided to create a new group of Marauders as soon as I got here. More than just being fun, right now, the Wizarding community of Britain NEEDS the Marauders. It needs people who aren't so tied down by the rules that they are afraid to do what needs to be done. That's another reason why I'm here and not at Ilvermorny."

She paused for effect. "I'm about to tell you something that only about a dozen people in the world even suspect, much less realize. You can't tell anyone else. You can't even talk about this outside this room. Do you all swear to that on your magic?"

All three paled at the request. It was the most powerful oath a wizard could make and violating it could literally destroy you. The twins looked at each other, then nodded. Hermione took a moment longer, staring at Jamie, but finally nodded as well.

"There's a good chance," Jamie told them in hushed tones, "that Voldemort is still alive. None of the mages I grew up with believe he's dead yet. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall agree with them. His body was destroyed, but no one has been able to prove he's gone. A lot of people have tried and they've used just about every means there is, but there's no real proof of his death."

Hermione interjected. "But if his body was destroyed, how could he still be alive?"

Jamie shrugged. "Aunt Agatha told me there are any number of ways a person could survive the destruction of their body. There are dark artifacts and even darker spells that can keep a soul bound to this world. The ghosts of this castle are only one example. That's not a choice I think he'd make, but it's not the only one, either."

She paused to let that sink in. "Thing is, I'm not assuming he's dead, so I need to get ready to fight him again and I'm going to need help; help from people who aren't afraid to bend the rules if necessary; people I can trust not to break the wrong ones; people like the three of you."

The twins looked at each other and grinned, then one of them spoke. "We're in."

Hermione was still quiet, but Jamie wasn't finished. "I've been keeping some tricks up my sleeve that not even Professor Dumbledore knows about. I may be struggling with beginning wand work, but Padfoot and Moonie taught me a couple of spells; advanced magic I learned to cast with borrowed wands and can teach you."

She rose to her feet and gestured for a box that sat in a corner of the room and telekinetically brought it over to her. "Fred, would you stand up?"

She took a wand out of the box, which contained several. "This is a blank. It doesn't have a core. I want you to point it at me as if we were dueling."

He complied with a shrug and a smirk.

She drew her wand faster than any of the three could follow. "Conlidamus!"

The wand in Fred's hand exploded in a shower of splinters. He squeaked and jumped back as if bitten, but checked his hand to reveal no injury.

"Padfoot called that one the Wand Breaker," she said, casually putting her wand away and sitting down. "It's considered dirty pool when it comes to dueling, but it's effective. A wizard without a wand isn't much of a threat . . . most of the time. Captain America once told me that morals are a good and proper thing to have, but fighting fair gets people killed. That's one of the easier tricks I can teach you. I have a lot more."

Hermione saw her opening to ask a question she already knew the answer to. "You said most of the time."

Her wand still in her pocket, Jamie held her hand out. "Lumos."

A sphere of light appeared in her palm. "Other than Padfoot, Moonie and Tonks, most of the wizards I know in America don't use wands. The Congress of Magic and the staff at Ilvermorny are still as adamant about wand use as the Ministry and Hogwarts, but America is a bit of a haven for wandless wizards."

Fred sat in shocked silence, but George saw the possibilities immediately. "You can teach us that?"

"I don't know." Jamie admitted. "I know I can teach Hermione or any other First Year with the will to do it, but you guys are in your second year. It's possible that you're already too set in your ways magically, but I don't think so. It will take a lot of work for you to overcome your dependence on wands, but I think you're both up to it. Even if you can never learn direct casting, I can still teach you a lot of stuff."

She paused. "Don't get me wrong, you'll still need a focus for most of the complex stuff. That's just the way things work. If you can learn to cast simpler spells directly, however, you can learn to use just about anything that's been properly prepared as a focus. Dr. Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto and other spell specific artifacts to channel some of his more powerful spells. Wanda uses bracelets and jewelry inscribed with runes and stuff. Dr. Drumm uses a staff and other voodoo paraphernalia. Aunt Agatha doesn't use focuses for any of her spells, but then she's over four hundred years old. She's scary powerful."

She stood and stretched and walked around a bit. "The key to direct magic is to find your niche; your avatar, as it were. Most people have to find their own, but I think I know what niche each of you falls into. Fred and George, you're both Tricksters. Hermione, you're more in tune with the Sage. Your niche dictates the kind of direct magic you're best at. You can do a lot more with your niche magic than anything else."

"What's your avatar?" George asked.

Jamie swallowed nervously. "Mine is too dangerous to use directly . . . yet. Aunt Wanda is a chaos mage. Five years ago, Aunt Agatha was working with her when I stumbled on them. They didn't see me until I tried to copy what Aunt Wanda was doing. I blew the back wall off the Avengers Mansion and nearly killed myself. I broke nearly every bone in my body and had second and third degree burns just about everywhere. Without magical healing, I'd have died. Even with all the magic they could push into me, it still took me a year to fully recover. They had to put some magical restrictions on me to make sure I didn't accidently try to use it again before I was ready."

She saw their reactions and laughed. "It's not all bad. That's when they started teaching me how to cast spells. The only real problem now is that I'm having a harder time learning how to cast spells with a wand because I already learned so much direct magic. According to Aunt Wanda, it's actually best to learn a little of both at the same time, but you'll never convince the Ministry of that. They've tried."

She decided to change the subject. "There's one other thing I can teach you. I can help you learn to defend yourselves without magic. I learned to fight mostly from Captain America and Black Widow, but they weren't my only teachers. Hawkeye taught me how to fire a bow. Wolverine taught me martial arts and kendo, and how and when to use guns. Gambit and Mockingbird taught me how to use a staff and batons. Thor and his friends, Sif and the Warriors Three, even taught me some tricks. I've watched some of the greatest heroes in America spar and all of them have taught me at least a few tricks. If I'm not the most dangerous eleven year old in the world, I'm close."

She paused one last time before concluding the meeting. "The biggest problem with most mages is that they aren't much of a threat if you take their wands away. This includes Moldywarts and his Mudeaters."

The others laughed nervously at her insult. "That's it for tonight, people. Let's get back together Saturday evening and see how many other First Years we can recruit to join us. I already intend to invite Lavender, Parvati and the Gryffindor First Year boys. I also intend to invite Parvati's sister, Padma, and any other Ravenclaw First Years they think they can trust. I don't know any of the Hufflepuffs well enough and the only Slytherin brats I'd trust are Tracey and Blaise. Even then, I'd want to wait a while to feel them out first."

The twins considered. "We can talk to Ernie and Justin about the Hufflepuffs."

"For right now," Hermione suggested, "I think we should limit this to Gryffindors and maybe Parvati's sister. We can add others as we go along, like once some of us have mastered this stuff well enough to take some of the teaching load off of Jamie."

"Good idea," Jamie admitted. "No sense biting off more than we can chew. Fred, if you guys know any Gryffindor Second Years you think can think outside the box well enough to have a chance to overcome their wand dependence, invite them."

"Lee Jordan," both brothers said simultaneously, then George expanded on the thought. "He's a Third Year, but if anyone thinks outside any boxes, it's him. He's helped us with a lot of our pranks and thought up more than a few of them."

Jamie nodded. "Invite him, but make sure he knows I can't promise he'll be able to learn direct magic. Odds are he won't."

She thought long and hard about this last thing. "On a parting note, something for you all to think about. There was a break-in at Gringott's the day I arrived back in England. Hagrid had an article about it at his cabin. The same day, he took something out of the school's vault. I think that may have been what the thieves were after. The article claimed the vault the thieves were after was emptied that day. I also think that whatever it was is now in the forbidden section on the third level. I wandered into that area accidentally. There's a huge three headed dog guarding something. He wasn't much of a threat to me, but I wouldn't want to encounter him without my powers."

She paused. "I can't prove anything's actually being guarded there and have no idea what could be so valuable, but I think it may be something we eventually may want to look into. Anything that could cause that much of a stir is something Voldemort's lackeys would want to get their hands on . . . and make no mistake, even if he's actually dead, they most definitely haven't changed their stripes."

"Wait a minute," Hermione said with a frown. "If that's all, why did we have to come out her after curfew? Why take the risk? We could have done this an hour ago without breaking the rules."

Jamie looked her friend in the eye and told her what the twins' reactions suggested they already figured out. "It was a test. If you're going to be involved in this, you're going to need to break some rules. I'm sorry, Hermione, but I needed to know you'd be willing to do that. If you wouldn't do something as small as breaking curfew, you wouldn't be able to do some of the things we're going to need to do. Don't worry. Future meetings will be held at more reasonable hours."

Hermione blinked several times. "Don't ever do that to me again. I mean, I get why you did it tonight, but never again."

Jamie smiled and hugged her friend. "I won't have to. Now I know that when it comes down to it, you'll do what needs to be done and damn the rules."

Saturday morning found most of the First Years out on the main lawn with Madame Hooch for their first flying lessons. Jamie had a toy broom as a kid. It didn't go very fast or very high, but she loved it. She hadn't ridden one, however, since she learned to fly on her own. Still, it was a required course and a useful skill to know just in case. After all, Franklin Richards' little friend, Leech, wasn't the only person out there who could screw with someone's natural abilities.

When told to hold their hands over the broom and say "up", Jamie's broom rocketed up into her hand. Few others did as well, most had to try it several times to get their brooms to respond. Finally, when everyone had a broom, they were told to mount it and rise to a height of five feet. Again, Jamie and several others had no problems. Unfortunately, Neville's broom started flying out of control and bucking until it finally threw him. He landed badly on his right arm.

When Madame Hooch took Neville of to see the nurse over a broken wrist, after threatening to expel anyone who so much as lifted one of the brooms from the ground while she was away, Draco found the Remembrall that the poor kid received from his grandmother in that morning's owl mail. "I think I'll hide this somewhere. Wonder if the dimwit will even remember he got it."

Jamie walked up to him boldly. "Hand it over, Malfoy."

"And what if I don't, freak?" he sneered

She smiled sweetly. "You'll be spending longer in the infirmary than he will."

"Oh, I'm so scared." Malfoy suddenly jumped on a broom and took off with the Remembrall in hand. "I think I'll hide this in the aerie somewhere."

"Don't do it," Hermione warned, almost reading Jamie's mind. "You heard what Madame Hooch said.

Jamie smiled. "Who said I was going to use a broom? I don't need a broom to fly."

With those words, Jamie rocketed after Draco in a blur of speed.

"Blimey," Ron said in utter awe. "She said she was that fast. Never dreamed she was that fast."

It had been some time since Jamie had been able to cut loose at full speed; well before she left America, at least. It felt good. She was glad she was already wearing sunglasses when she took off. The wind at this speed could be murder on the eyes.

She passed Draco with a gust of wind that almost knocked him off his broom, then came to a sudden stop a good distance in front of him. He poured on the brakes and barely managed to avoid a collision with her. When he tried to turn the broom and head off in another direction, however, she grabbed hold of the end of the thing and locked it in place under her arm.

"You're not going anywhere, Malfoy," She said calmly, but threateningly. "Now give me the Remembrall."

He wasn't about to let her intimidate him again. "You want it so bad, catch it."

He threw the ball with all his strength right at the wall of the castle. Jamie slapped the end of his broom and let him struggle to keep from crashing while she went after the ball. She just managed to get in front of it, catching it gently into her chest just before it hit a window of one of the higher floors. Before Jamie could head back to the others, however, the window behind her suddenly opened and Prof. McGonagall, who had apparently been watching the entire escapade, stuck her head out.

"Miss Potter," she ordered sternly. "Please come in here immediately."

Jamie flew into the window and was about to start explaining, but Professor McGonagall cut her off. "Follow me."

The woman walked quickly and purposefully to the Charms classroom and ducked her head in. "Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, but I need to borrow Wood for a few moments."

"Mr. Wood," McGonagall introduced them as soon as the tall boy entered the hallway. "Allow me to introduce you to Miss Potter. I found you a Seeker."

Wood considered Jamie. "How much do you know about Quidditch, Potter?"

Jamie smirked. "I was raised by two of the greatest Chasers of their generation. My Dad was their Seeker. Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup all six years they were on the team. I've never played, but I know all the rules and I know what a Seeker's responsibility is. I'm guessing Professor McGonagall wants me on the team because I don't need a broom to fly."

He nodded. "How fast can you fly?"

She shrugged. "My cruising speed is as fast as any broom out there. In sprints, I've been clocked at about one fifty; that's miles per hour, not kilometers. I can't keep that up for more than a few minutes, of course. I'm also more maneuverable than a broom."

He turned to Professor McGonagall. "Is this legal? Quidditch is usually played on brooms. I've never heard of a natural flier in the game."

"She'll still need to use a broom," McGonagall awarded them with a rare smile, "but there's no rules against her powering it with her own abilities. We'll need to bend some of the school rules and get her a proper broom, but I'm sure the Headmaster will agree that given as she flies already, it's not as much of an issue as it would be with other First Year students."

Oliver Wood nodded and held out his hand. "Welcome to the team, Potter. Meet me at the arena tonight after dinner. I want to see personally how good you are."

That evening, Draco and his goons cornered Jamie and Hermione outside the dining hall; rather they tried to corner them. "I've had about as much of your interference as I'm going to stand, Potter. I challenge you to a duel; tonight, after curfew, in the library. Goyle will be my second."

Both Goyle and Crabbe were carrying wooden truncheons. Jamie's wand was in her hand in an instant and two Wand Breakers later, they were disarmed.

"Don't be an idiot." She locked eyes with a suddenly not nearly as certain Malfoy. "I was raised by two of the better duelists to graduate from this school. If you value your wand . . . not to mention your health, you'll stay as far away from me as you humanly can. When I fight, it's for keeps and I don't fight fair. I could care less about your stupid challenge, but if you try to threaten me again, I'll put all three of you in St. Mungo's. Now get out of my way."

She stepped forward and shoved Goyle out of her way with one hand, knocking him off his feet, then looked at him. "Consider yourself lucky I'm in a good mood. I could have shoved your little toy so far down your throat that you'd be crapping splinters for the next month. Next time, I may just do it."

She then turned on Crabbe with a fake lunge and a hiss. The boy ran, taking off down the hall like the hounds of hell were chasing him. As Hermione led the way into the great hall, both girls were laughing.

"He's probably going to tell anyone who will listen that you were afraid to duel him," Hermione said as they sat down.

"Like I care what he thinks or says," Jamie scoffed. "I bet he wasn't even going to show up. He just wanted me to get caught out after curfew so I'd get in trouble. Like I'm that stupid. When I break rules, it's because I decide to, not because some brat pushed my buttons."

She looked over at the Slytherin table thoughtfully. "I don't know about you, but I think I've found our first targets. You're top of our class at both Transfigurations and Charms, Hermione. I wonder how fast you could learn a specialized switching spell Tonks taught me. We'd just need to get our hands on some fig leaves. We'd need to stash them under the Slytherin table so the clothing we swap them for doesn't get traced back to us."

The whole idea was simply scandalous, of course, but Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the image. No doubt about it, Jamie Potter was corrupting her. The question was, did she care?

"You're so bad." Hermione shook her head in mock rebuke.

Jamie's smile just got bigger. "Of course I am."

Saturday evening, right after dinner, all eight Gryffindor First years gathered in the Room of Requirement with Padma Patil, the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan and Oliver Wood, who didn't expect to be able to learn direct magic, but was intrigued by some of the other ideas Jamie had.

"Thirteen," Jamie noted. "Good thing I'm not superstitious. I actually think it might be a good omen."

She had everyone sit down on pillows, but remained standing. "I want to thank you all for coming. The Marauders were a legend here at Hogwarts when my Dad and his friends were in their hay day fifteen years ago. There were only four of them; five if you count my mother, but she usually steered well clear of their antics."

She paused and looked around the room, meeting the eyes of each person there. "I plan to make them a legend in the whole Wizarding World. None of us are old enough to remember when the Death Eaters were terrorizing Britain. They've been in hiding since Voldemort (and yes, I'm not afraid to use his name; neither should you be) disappeared, but they're not finished by a long shot. Neither is he."

She paused as gasps resounded around the room. "You've all sworn oaths not to discuss what's said in this room outside that door. This is one of the main reasons why. I don't believe Voldemort is dead; neither does Professor Dumbledore. He's obviously been badly weakened, or he'd have reared his ugly head by now, but no one has ever been able to prove he died with his body . . . and a lot of people have tried."

There were several gasps of shock and even a little fear, but she continued. "The Ministry is corrupt and less than useless against this. They couldn't stop him ten years ago and they won't even admit there's still a threat now. I can teach some of you how to cast spells without a wand. I can teach all of you some spells you won't learn in class. I can also teach you how to defend yourselves without magic."

She sighed. "While the Ministry hides its head in the sand, Professor Dumbledore and a lot of others think a war could be coming. Whether I want to or not, I'm going to be on the front line of that war. It probably won't happen for several years yet, but I'm not kidding myself into thinking I can just run back to America when it does. I'm going to spend my time getting ready. I hope some of you will be with me. I'm gonna need all the help I can get."

She paused. "Now, Lee, Oliver, Fred and George are going to have the hardest time learning to cast without a wand. You already know too much of the wanded way of casting. I don't think it'll be impossible, but it will be a lot harder than those of us just starting to learn."

She laughed. "I actually have the opposite problem. Because I know so much about natural magic and so many advanced spells, learning the basics is taking me a lot more work than the rest of the class. I'll deal with it. I think you will too."

Oliver nodded. "I don't really expect to learn the other way of casting. I'm going to give it my best shot, but I'm in my third year and probably too set in my ways. What I want to learn are some of these advanced spells I'm hearing about. Is it true that you know a spell that will shatter an opponent's wand?"

She nodded. "I do and it's one of the first spells I intend to teach you all. It's called the Conlidamus, or wand breaker, spell. Expelliarmus does pretty much the same thing, but Conlidamus is permanent and a lot more rewarding if you're really mad at the guy you're fighting. When I was four or so, this wizard with an upper crust British accent showed up and got into a fight with Padfoot, that's my godfather's nickname . . . and yes, his real name is Sirius Black and, no, he didn't kill my parents. He did kill the guy who did, though."

She realized she was getting off track. "Anyway, the guy said he was there to avenge his lord, I'm pretty sure he was talking about me by the way, and would be more than happy to kill a race traitor while he was at it. I can still remember the look his face when his wand blew up in his hand. He couldn't believe a properly bred wizard would even think of doing something like that."

She shook her head. "Ya gotta love those Deatheaters . . . NOT! They have no problem casting any of the forbidden spells, but they get all misty eyed over a broken wand. Go figure."

Jamie nodded to Hermione who true to her nature had taken it upon herself to organize all the training. "We're going to break this into three parts. Later we'll have to have multiple classes and probably divide the lessons between the three; particularly as each of us becomes good enough with the different aspects to take some of the load off of Jamie. We'll start with what those in America call natural magic, then work on some of the advanced spells Jamie knows, then move into hand to hand training. If what Professor Dumbledore and the others believe is true, we're going to need all of it."

When they turned to Jamie again, she struggled at first to find the right words. "I'm not sure how to really do this part. I've got some ideas, but Aunt Agatha told me that natural magic is so personal that no two people learn the same way."

There were several nods and expectant looks around the room. "I know a couple of things that might help you. I know that you need to find your avatar, your strength. I'm a chaos mage. I found that out when I was six. I blew the back of the Avengers Mansion off and nearly killed myself."

She laughed at some of their expressions. "That's not likely to happen to any of you. Chaos magic is . . . special. It's very powerful, but not controllable. I don't see any chaos mages here, although I'm pretty sure the twins are tricksters, which is close, although nowhere near as uncontrollable."

Oliver Wood raised his hand. "How do you know they're tricksters? I mean it's pretty obvious they're pranksters, but . . . ."

"I stumbled on my strength accidentally," she told them. "I saw my godmother, Wanda, training with Agatha Harkness and tried to copy what she was doing. For most of you, your avatar will be more obvious. When you come down to it, my life has been chaos incarnate."

She turned to the others who had been at the previous meeting. "The twins are tricksters. It's so much a part of them that it almost screams to anyone who knows anything about natural magic. The same is true for Hermione. With her love of knowledge and passion to learn everything she can, she's allied to the Sage; the knowledge seeker. That's where she'll find her greatest strength."

She paused. "I'm not sure about the rest of you. I could make some guesses, but I might color your resolve and totally screw your chances of doing this. Besides, I'd just be guessing and just as likely to be wrong."

Several people were nodding. "A Lumos spell is one of the easiest ones out there. Think about your favorite thing. The thing you love to do most. The one thing in life that defines you. Think about it and focus on it and try to use that focus to power the spell. If one thing doesn't work, try something else, or keep trying. If you can't think of anything you're that passionate about, ask someone who knows you. Just don't ask me. There's something about being in the teacher position that might cause a wrong suggestion on my part to interfere with your natural progression."

She tried to think of an example. "I love to fly. I'm never so alive as when I'm out flying through a clear sky on a bright crisp day. Someone might think that my avatar might be air or wind or even weather. They'd be wrong, but a teacher making that suggestion could have me spending days or even weeks trying to do something that would never work."

Lavender had the next question. "Then why did you take the risk of being wrong with Hermione and the twins?"

Jamie laughed. "Theirs were so obvious a blind man could see it. Some people are lucky that way. Most aren't.


	5. 05: Halloween

**Third Edition** **Writer's Notes: Going to have several small changes in this one and at least one major scene addition depicting Jamie's first and only visit to Ilvermorny. It's still going to be the shortest chapter in this story.**

 **Chapter 5: "Halloween"**

Monday morning, a long narrow package was delivered to Jamie at the breakfast table by three owls. A note from Prof. McGonagall told her what was inside and instructed her not to open it in public, but given the scrutiny she was under by the other students, that was hardly ever going to happen.

"A Nimbus 2000," she noted to Ron and Hermione as she put the package aside, leaning it against the bench next to her. "I have to admit I don't know much about brooms. They were Padfoot's passion, but I've been able to fly without one for so long I never got that interested."

Ron was in shock and admittedly a little envious. "The Nimbus 2000 is the best, fastest, most maneuverable broom ever designed. All the professional Quidditch teams are using them . . . the ones that want to win, at least."

"Cool," Jamie responded with a nod. "I saw them advertised in the window or Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley."

"What's that you got there, Potter?" Trust Malfoy and his goons to ruin the moment. "That's a broom, isn't it? You're in trouble now."

"It's not just any broom, Malfoy," Ron instantly shot his mouth off. "It's a Nimbus 2000 and it's a gift from Professor McGonagall."

"How would you even know what a Nimbus 2000 looks like, Weasley." Draco laughed derisively. "Your family's so poor you couldn't afford a single straw off a Nimbus. Heck, you couldn't afford to look at one."

Ron tried to ignore the jibe but couldn't resist countering with one of his own. "What is it you keep bragging about having back home, Draco; a Comet 260? What a piece of junk. All flash, no substance; just like you. A Comet isn't even in the same league with a Nimbus."

Malfoy, of course, rose to the challenge, which quickly became a pissing match that became more and more intense until Jamie was almost certain she was going to have to intervene physically.

Fortunately, Professor Flitwick happened by the table at just the right moment. "Is there a problem students?"

"Not really, Professor," Jamie responded, barely restraining a snicker. "Just two boys comparing the size of their . . . broomsticks."

Hermione caught the joke and blushed, but didn't quite lose it. The boys seemed oblivious to the connotation. If Professor Flitwick caught on, which was highly likely, he tactfully ignored it. Jamie thought she caught just the slightest hint of a long suffering smile cross his face for just an instant, however.

"Potter's got her own broom, sir," Draco said with faux respect. "Isn't it against school rules for First Years to have their own brooms at school? I know I was told I couldn't bring mine."

"Ah, yes," Flitwick responded and Jamie could actually see Draco deflate. "I heard about that. Special case and all. Do be careful with that, Miss Potter. A broom isn't a toy, it's a responsibility."

As Professor Flitwick left, Malfoy fumed. "You'll get yours sooner or later, Potter. No one stays lucky all the time. You'll mess up someday and I hope I'm there to see it and laugh in your face."

"Tell me, Draco," Jamie asked, "is it true what they say about most of the pureblood families?"

Draco blinked, then sneered imperiously. "What's that, Potter; that we're superior to half-bloods, mudbloods and muggleborns in every way? That should be obvious even to someone as dense as you."

"No." Jamie smiled viciously. "That most of you are so inbred that your family trees hardly branch. That'd probably explain why so many of you are so butt ugly . . . not to mention stupid."

"How dare you!" Draco screeched, his voice reaching into the soprano register loudly enough to be heard throughout the whole hall.

"Is there something you'd like to share with the hall, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked calmly from where he sat on the dais.

Malfoy stammered, fumed, stared daggers at Jamie, then stalked off with his lackeys in tow.

Jamie turned to Hermione and the twins as the trio left earshot. "That does it. Project: Garden of Eden is so on."

Getting the fig leaf G-strings hadn't been nearly as difficult as Jamie thought it would be, but she didn't want to think about how Uncle Tony knew immediately where to order them. Once she told him what they were for, he instantly agreed to have them special delivered as long as she promised to get pictures of their reactions . . . nothing else, mind you, just their faces.

The package arrived a couple days later by owl from Aunt Wanda. She didn't know what was in it and made it clear she didn't want to know, but admonished her goddaughter to be careful. Jamie intended to be.

The night before the prank, she slipped out invisibly and intangibly and made her way to the Slytherin table with the three G-strings and a stretch of netting to hold them and later the clothes that would replace them securely beneath the Slytherin table. Fortunately, the tables in the hall were quite wide, insuring that no one would accidently discover it. Even more fortunately, Malfoy and his cohorts always sat at pretty much the same place every meal. The positioning of the fig leafs was critical as the three people casting the spells would be doing so blind.

She, of course, couldn't be involved in the actual casting. When the prank went down, she intended to have her back to the Slytherin table, her wand tucked away and her hands in plain sight. They knew she would naturally be the primary suspect if anyone investigated what happened. They wanted it to be crystal clear that she hadn't been involved . . . with the casting, at least.

Besides, she was the best one to plant the thongs. The house elves were the only ones likely to find the thongs under the table. Jamie made it a point to make friends with them the first week she was at Hogwarts. One of them saw her at work. She gave him a quick wink and raised a finger to her lips. The creature smiled broadly and nodded vigorously. The house elves, in general, didn't care much for House Slytherin. Too many of their kin were abused by pureblood families.

Hermione and the Weasley twins had spent every spare moment for the past several days practicing the required spell until they could do it surreptitiously, silently and blindly, which was no small trick. Silent casting wasn't even normally taught until Sixth Year.

Ron, in turn, had been practicing with Jamie's cellphone until he was sure he could get the triple face shot without anyone even realizing it had been taken. The execution was complex and had to be pulled off flawlessly, but Padfoot and Moonie had performed far more complex pranks and taught Jamie everything she knew about the art.

"Hurting someone should never be the goal," Sirius told her so many times that she could recite it from memory and in his voice, "or even a possibility. The goal of a prank should always be to embarrass someone who richly deserves to be taken down a peg or two. If someone gets hurt or the prank catches anyone but the intended target, you've failed."

It was a lesson he admitted he learned far too late in life and one she learned well.

Friday morning, a week after her aerial battle with Malfoy, the students all gathered for breakfast with no one but the Marauders, who now numbered more than twenty spread over three Houses, any the wiser. Jamie had Padma Patil and a couple of Hufflepuffs watching the reactions of Blaise Zabini and Tracey Davis in particular. She was still weighing the possibility of inviting them to join the Marauders. The reports and opinions of her fellows would be the final decider.

The trap was set to go off as the three targets were getting up after having finished breakfast. As soon as they got up from the bench, three spells went off and instead of robes, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were suddenly wearing nothing but fig leaves. The reactions were priceless. Malfoy squeaked like a little girl, which just attracted the attention of everyone who wasn't already aware of their condition. No one screamed in horror, but several girls came close. Most of the school, however, was too busy laughing, including more than a few Slytherins.

For the next two weeks, pictures of their reactions would mysteriously appear in the strangest places. The original, of course, was enshrined in the Marauder memory album Jamie was keeping to show off to her friends back in America when she went home. It didn't hurt that even Professor Snape had to confirm, albeit a little reluctantly, that Jamie's back was to the whole scene, her hands in plain view and her reactions seemingly genuine.

By the second Potions lesson, Jamie maneuvered it so that Neville would be her partner. Other than making sure that Jamie wasn't doing all the work and letting Neville skate, Professor Snape let it pass. With Jamie's help, Neville began to do better and get more and more self-confidence. She didn't know much about his past, but someone had broken this poor boy's spirit early and often. If she ever learned who, she intended to have words with them.

At the close of the second Marauder meeting, the twins had a gift for her. "We were given this last year. That's how we recognized the nicknames the original Marauders used. They made it. We decided it was only right for you to get it, because of your Da and godfather and so on."

"Besides," George added. "We've already memorized it."

That was how Jamie came into possession of the Marauder Map; a tool that would prove priceless in the years to come.

As it turned out, Jamie's only real problem was in Defense against the Dark Arts. It wasn't that the classwork or homework was so hard. She could handle that with one arm tied behind her back, but she couldn't figure out why she kept getting migraine headaches every time she entered the room. At first she thought it was the stench of garlic that permeated the place, but she'd never had that kind of reaction before. She was almost considering consulting Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse. Then Halloween came and things became a LOT clearer.

The first six weeks of school passed quickly for Jamie. She was so busy with all the things she had on her plate that she didn't have much time to be homesick. Sadly, the same wasn't quite true with Hermione, who was experiencing life without her parents to lean on for the first time. She hid her homesickness well, however, at least until the morning of October 31st.

It wasn't one event that set her off, it was several. She'd been one of the first Marauders to cast the Lumos spell without a wand, but hadn't been able to progress beyond that. Jamie knew her friend was over thinking things, but it was no good telling her that. It would just make her fixate more. No, Hermione needed to figure this one out on her own . . . and she would, but in the meantime, it was causing her a fair bit of stress.

Then that morning, Hermione had a confrontation with Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins. They'd been pretty hard on her. Pansy Parkinson even called her a filthy mudblood and questioned her parentage. If Jamie had been there, Pansy would have needed some teeth replaced, but Hermione had been alone and already feeling depressed and homesick. The encounter had ended with them laughing at her as she ran away in tears.

The final straw, however, was Ron, who was having problems of his own and accidentally took them out on Hermione. He was doing well enough with martial training; as well as anyone else who had grown up relying on magic rather than brawn. He was struggling with even casting the Conlidamus, which was probably the easiest advanced spell Jamie knew, however, and still hadn't managed to even cast a Lumos spell without his wand. Even the twins and Lee Jordan had managed to do that much; heck, even Oliver Woods managed it.

When he crossed swords with Hermione that afternoon, he'd been particularly brutal with some of his comments. He was mad and frustrated, not to mentioned being an eleven year old boy. He totally missed how his jibes were affecting her until Hermione ran away crying. Even then, he didn't realize what he'd done wrong. Boys could be so dense sometimes.

The confrontation Jamie had with Ron when she heard about it was quite memorable. She read him the riot act in no uncertain terms and language that left his ears almost as red as his hair. Being a boy, he first tried to bluster his way through the situation. Not being a total jerk, however, he eventually saw the light and became rather contrite.

When Hermione failed to show up for the Halloween feast that night, both Jamie and Ron were worried. "You don't think she's run off and done something stupid?" Ron asked, honest concern showing in his voice.

Jamie was still a little mad at him, but not nearly as mad as she had been. "No thanks to you, but no. If she doesn't show up by the time the food appears, I have a pretty good idea where she'll be. I'll go talk to her. You stay here and think about how big of a jerk you were to her and try to come up with something that passes for an apology."

That was when Professor Quirrell rushed in to announce that a troll was in the halls, then fainted as Jamie's head exploded with pain. Professor Dumbledore didn't realize what was happening to Jamie, but still responded promptly. The prefects were ordered to take their charges to the dorms immediately. The staff was rallied to start a search of the castle and deal with the threat.

Jamie found herself being herded out of the main hall with the other Gryffindors, but as soon as her head cleared, she realized that Hermione was out there somewhere and in danger. One look at Ron told her he had the same thought. Together, they slowed and let the other Gryffindors pass them, then pulled away from the group once everyone else was ahead of them and distracted.

"Catch up to the group, Ron," Jamie ordered. "Stay with them. Stay safe. I can handle this better on my own."

"Hermione's only out here because of me," Ron insisted. "I'm going whether you want me to or not."

Jamie couldn't argue with that logic and didn't think she had the time if she wanted to. "She likes to use the haunted girls' bathroom. There's never a crowd and Moaning Myrtle generally leaves her alone. If she's not in the library, she's there, and I think Madame Pince would have herded her out if she was in the library."

"The bathroom it is, then." He nodded, obviously terrified, but putting on a brave face.

With that, Jamie grabbed Ron by the belt and took off. He squeaked in surprise, but didn't complain. It wouldn't be a comfortable flight, but she wasn't wasting time. They reached the bathroom in a matter of minutes, unfortunately, right behind the troll that seemed to have heard something inside.

Jamie put Ron down and came to what she would later realize was the dumbest decision of her young life. "Okay. I'm going to try to distract the troll. If Hermione's there, get her out and run. Get Madame Pomfrey. If she isn't, just run for Madame Pomfrey. If this goes the way I'm afraid it's going to, I'm probably going to need her when it's over."

Ron didn't have time to question, as Jamie kicked the door open and stepped in.

Inside the bathroom, Hermione had been having a good cry and lost track of time. She was just stepping out of a stall to wash her face and make her way to the main hall when she literally walked right into the troll. She screamed, of course and the troll roared just as Jamie exploded into the room.

"Yo, ugly," Jamie yelled to attract the trolls attention away from Hermione and Ron's efforts to get her out of danger. "You smell like a sewer and your mama dresses you funny."

If the troll understood the insult or not, didn't matter. It recognized a challenge when it heard one. It swung its massive club, taking out three stalls, but missed Jamie as she flew nimbly over the swing. Somewhere in the process, Ron got Hermione out of the room.

"Okay," Jamie said aloud. "Now for the hard part."

She focused on the mnemonic that would release the block on her chaos magic. It was the titles of three songs from the mid-sixties and early seventies arranged in a certain order to form a phrase. She'd been warned to only use it in a life or death situation and this certainly qualified. She just hoped Ron and Hermione could get Madame Pomfrey to her in time.

"I Believe In Magic." The first of the barriers came down and Jamie began to sense the power coursing through her.

"Witchy Woman." Her who body began to tingle.

"I Put A Spell On You!" Chaos energy coursed through her veins, but there was no pain yet. That would come later.

Even as the troll roared again and swung the club, missing her, but demolishing one of the toilets, Jamie summoned the chaos, feeling it burn through her body. That would be the last thing she remembered as she screamed in pain and determination just before she drifted into merciful oblivion.

Ron and Hermione ran as fast as they could and encountered Professor McGonagall almost immediately.

"What are you children doing out?" Minerva demanded. "You were ordered to go straight to your dorm and stay there."

"Hermione wasn't at the banquet, Professor," Ron explained quickly. "Jamie and I went to get her so we could all get to safety. We found her in the haunted bathroom. The troll was already there."

"They saved my life, Professor," Hermione took over. "Ron got me out while Jamie took the thing on. She told him to find Madame Pomfrey. I'm worried she's going to do something dangerous."

"And engaging a troll isn't dangerous, Miss Granger?" Prof. McGonagall offered skeptically as she had the castle summon the Headmaster and School Nurse.

"She's a chaos mage." Hermione announced and Minerva went pale. "She only accessed it once and nearly killed herself."

Minerva McGonagall turned white. She rarely if ever ran anywhere, but she did at that moment. In fact, Ron and Hermione were hard pressed to keep up with her. When they reached the bathroom, the interior door and wall were gone; so was the upper half of the troll and part of the ceiling. Jamie was lying on the floor. Her robes and clothes were shredded and every part of her body they could see was covered in burns and welts. Most of her hair was even burnt off. Both of her arms had multiple compound fractures, her legs and lower torso looked like they'd been pulped and blood was leaking from her mouth, nose and ears. Hermione was terrified. She didn't think Jamie was even breathing.

Minerva cast a rapid stasis spell on the unconscious eleven year old and hustled the other two students out of the room. Professor Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey were just arriving. One glance at the damage told Dumbledore everything he needed to know. He'd seen the damage to Avengers mansion the last time this had happened.

McGonagall knew Dumbledore better than any person alive. "You knew. Why didn't you tell me, Albus?"

"The power was supposed to be blocked until she was old enough to handle it, Minerva." His tone was firm. "Apparently Sirius or Wanda must have told her how to remove the block in event of a life or death emergency. I need to put in a call to America. Even if Sirius didn't notice the release of chaos energy, Wanda, Agatha Harkness and Dr. Strange had to have even across the Atlantic Ocean. They'll be coming and damn the Ministry's restrictions. The last thing we need is a war between the Ministry and MACUSA."

He sighed. "Take Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger to their dorm, will you? And make sure they stay there."

He turned to the nurse who was working feverishly over the critically injured child. "Do what you can, Poppy. Keep her stable. I don't think we can risk trying to transport her to St. Mungo's. I'll contact them when I make the other calls."

"I'll do everything I can, Professor," Poppy Pomfrey responded in hushed tones, "but I'm not a miracle worker and I've never seen anyone survive this level of injury."

"She beat the odds once," he responded cryptically. "Let's just hope she has it in her to do so again. I fear the future may well depend on it."

Dumbledore immediately apported to his office. He unlocked a drawer in his desk and took out the magically shielded communications device Captain America had given him that summer. Wanda answered immediately. Of course, she knew exactly who was calling.

"What happened, Professor," She demanded, panic rising in her voice. "Agatha and Stephen are already on their way. I had to practically knock Sirius unconscious to keep him from invading Britain. Even Charles and Jean detected it."

"We had an invasion," he told her. "I don't know how a troll got into the castle, but I intend to find out and whoever is responsible will regret ever having been born. Jamie rescued another student from its clutches. She's alive, but barely. Madame Pomfrey is with her. I'm about to call in some doctor's from St. Mungo's. I don't think we dare try to move her there."

Wanda nodded. "I'll be on the first quinjet I can find. I should be there in a little over an hour. Agatha and Stephen will be there even sooner. Don't let my goddaughter die, Albus. Please, don't let her die."

Albus put the communicator away and threw some green powder into the fireplace. "St. Mungo's."

A receptionist appeared in the now green flames. "Professor Dumbledore. How can we help you, sir?"

"I have a critically injured student," he told the woman. "Burns, broken bones and likely internal injuries. If Professor McGonagall hadn't gotten to her within minutes of the injury and cast a stasis spell to stabilize her, she'd likely already be dead. We don't dare move her to you. I need several of your best doctors and healers to get out here . . . yesterday."

"The name of the student, sir?" The woman asked professionally.

"Jamie Potter," Dumbledore responded and broke the connection.

A little more powder and he was connected to Minister Fudge. "I say, Dumbledore, it's a rather strange hour to be calling. I was at supper."

"The school's been attacked, Minister," Dumbledore didn't have time for niceties or platitudes. "Someone let a troll into the castle. It's been dealt with, but we have one critically injured student, Jamie Potter. I've already put a call into St. Mungo's. I also called her godmother in America. I need to inform you that Agatha Harkness and Dr. Stephen Strange are currently en route to the school. Wanda Maximoff will be following shortly, likely accompanied by several Avengers and possibly some X-Men."

"That is unacceptable," Fudge ranted. "Harkness, Strange and Maximoff are all banned from entering Britain by treaty with the Congress of Magic."

Dumbledore's voice became extremely cold; a tone Fudge had never heard before; one that chilled him to the bone. "I told you this as a courtesy, Cornelius. Not to get your permission. Please contact Kingsley and get him to bring a group of aurors here to assist with the investigation. Don't even think of assigning that fool Carlisle to the team. Other than that, just stay out of our way."

Any further complaint or comment from the Minister was lost when Dumbledore cut the connection. The fact that a troll had been loosed inside the castle didn't bother him nearly as much as the realization that someone inside had to have let it in. The wards on the school ruled out some ill-advised and tragic student prank gone out of control. That meant that someone on the staff had betrayed his trust and the trust of the community and let the thing in. That was unthinkable and unforgivable.

Jamie knew she was floating, but she couldn't have said in what. There was light, but not really any source. Was this what it was like to be dead? She didn't think so. If she was dead, she didn't think there'd be any question in her mind.

"No, child," a familiar voice spoke in her mind. "You're not dead. You came close, however; far too close."

"Professor Xavier," she turned to see the man's astral image floating nearby. "How bad is it?"

"Extremely." He wasn't going to lie to her. "We believe you're past the worst of the crisis, however. Fortunately, your two friends were able to get immediate help to you."

"How mad are Wanda and Padfoot?" She was almost afraid of the answer.

He smiled encouragingly. "Mad isn't the word I'd use. Concerned, worried, maybe even panicked, but not mad . . . not at you, at least. Although I pity the person responsible for this attack if either of them catch up to them."

She sighed nervously. "I'm gonna be in a world of pain when I wake up, won't I?"

"Likely," he responded. "I only intruded on your mindscape to make sure you hadn't suffered any brain damage. I can say we avoided that, at least. The rest can be healed. For now, you need to rest."

Once Xavier left, Jamie let her mind wander. There was something she wanted to remember; something from just before the fight with the troll; something important.

Her mind drifted back to when she was four. A man came to America looking for her. He had long white hair. That was when she had the first migraine. Sirius called him Malfoy. He was probably some relation of Draco's, but that wasn't important. The headache hit just before he appeared. He fought with Sirius. Sirius won, but the man with long white hair escaped. Sirius promised the man likely wouldn't be back, but would never forget the encounter. He never clarified that.

There had been other attacks; several over the next two years; one by rogue Dementors, but Jamie was too well protected and her migraines always gave whoever was around her enough warning to make sure they were ready to deal with the threat.

It was once the Dementors were dispatched, however, that Sirius, Wanda and the others decided Jamie needed to learn to defend herself. That one had almost gotten to her. She could still remember the feelings of despair and hopelessness as they approached. None of her magical caregivers had been there that day. She'd been playing at the park with Franklin and Mrs. Richards had been watching them. Neither of them could even see the Dementors and Mrs. Richards couldn't very well fight what she couldn't see.

When Jamie's migraine hit, Sue did the smartest thing she could do. She got Jamie and Franklin out of there and called Wanda as they were running. Her description of what was happening told Wanda what they were up against. She steered them towards Dr. Strange, who was the closest magical practitioner to them; at least the closest they knew about.

Still having corporeal bodies, the Dementors couldn't get through Sue's force field, but they could still attack them through it. Sue admitted later that she almost gave up under the influence of those demonic creatures. Only the fact that she was protecting Franklin and Jamie kept her fighting until help arrived, in the form of Wanda, Sirius and Stephen Strange all at nearly the same moment.

Strange repelled the Dementors attacks, while Wanda and Sirius dealt with the creatures themselves. They destroyed them; destroyed them completely and permanently. It was the last time they were attacked, but Jamie started training the next day.

She remembered spending that summer at Ilvermorny. Remus and Sirius both offered occasional seminars there and called in some favors. The first two spells they taught Jamie despite her tender age were the two most likely to save her life: the wand destroying Conlidamus spell and the Dementor destroying Avada Dementis spell. After that she learned the more traditional Expelliarmus and other spells. She remembered spending her seventh birthday there and how much fun she had learning real combat magic.

She was getting lost in minutiae. What was important? The headache. She felt it when the white haired man appeared. She hadn't felt it when the Dementors attacked, but she hadn't needed to in order to know they meant trouble. She felt it many times since, however; always in the presence of a mage or spell or artifact connected to Voldemort. She knew now that the white haired man and the others that followed him had come to kill her and her headaches were warnings that saved not only her life, but Padfoot's and several others.

Why had she been having those headaches at Hogwarts? What was going on? The first one was the night she saw Professor Snape follow Professor Quirrell out of the castle. The headaches she had in Defense against the Dark Arts classes hadn't been nearly as bad, but then Professor Quirrell never left his desk and her desk was toward the back of the room. It was a large classroom. She never had the headaches when she was near Professor Snape, but the one that hit her when Quirrell entered the main hall and stopped less than ten feet from her had nearly left her unconscious. It was, in fact, the worst attack she had ever had.

What was going on? Could Professor Quirrell be a Deatheater? She hadn't felt anything as powerful from any of the other wizards who tried to attack her. What made him so special? She needed to wake up. She needed to talk to someone about this; several people as a matter of fact.


	6. 06: Ramifications

**Third Edition** **Writer's Notes: The only changes I have planned for this one are in the custody hearing. That may change as I get into it, of course. Amongst other things I intend to introduce my President of the Congress of Magic; a direct descendent of one of the Boot brothers who helped found Ilvermorny. I also intend to include the roles that the major magical players from the Marvelverse play in that organization.**

 **Chapter Six: "Ramifications"**

Two days passed before Jamie regained consciousness. Minister Fudge and his proxies had several confrontations with Agatha Harkness, Dr. Strange and Wanda; also with Thor, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Xavier and her cousin, Jean. None of these confrontations ended well for the Ministry representatives; several of whom wound up in St. Mungo's. Thor could be very . . . persuasive and Jean wasn't inclined to be gentle when she felt her family was being threatened.

When Jamie heard about it, she was just glad that Hulk and Wolverine hadn't gotten involved. The government officials may not have survived a confrontation with Logan and the school may not have survived a confrontation between them and the Hulk. Fortunately, Logan was busy hunting for whoever was responsible for letting the troll in and Dr. Banner stayed in New York to help Moonie and Tonks keep a leash on Sirius.

Jamie awoke to a wall of pain. Everything from her waist up hurt and she couldn't feel anything from her waist down. Was it possible for her eyelashes to hurt?

"Ow," she croaked and slowly opened her eyes to see a vision of red hair and green eyes sitting by her bed.

Jean Grey moved quickly and brought a glass of water with a straw to her cousin's lips. "Slowly, kiddo, slowly. You had us all pretty worried."

Jamie sipped the water gratefully, clearing the sand from her throat and making it a little easier to talk. "Are Ron and Hermione okay?"

Jean smiled. "They're fine. They practically camped out here until Madame Pomfrey threatened to medicate them if they didn't go back to the Gryffindor dorm and get some sleep."

"Okay." Jamie sighed. "How bad? Don't sugarcoat it. I can take it."

Jean nodded. "Second and third degree burns over eighty five percent of your body that stretched even the limits of magical healing. Both of your arms had multiple compound fractures. Your legs and pelvis were pretty much pulped. You can't feel anything from the waist down because the doctors put a magical block on your nervous system to help you heal. You're in a body cast, too, by the way. You also had breaks to both collar bones, several ribs, a punctured lung and several other less life threatening internal injuries. You received a major concussion with some swelling on the brain, but that was stopped before you received permanent injury."

She paused for a breath. "Some of the greatest minds in the hero community were consulted: Hank Pym, Hank McCoy, Reed Richards, Stephen Strange, Professor Xavier, Tony Stark, even Spiderman and Moira MacTaggart were called in. Dr. Strange, Tony, the Professor and Beast are still here. The others were sent home this morning."

She laughed. "That doesn't even include the magic community. They pulled out all the stops. Everything from magic spells to alien tech. You've been in very, very good hands."

She closed her eyes again. When she opened them, Jean was seated back again. She realized she must have passed out. That wouldn't do. There were things she needed to do. People she needed to talk to.

"How much trouble am I in?"

Jean shook her head. "You and Ron each lost five points for disobeying orders, but you each got points for bravery and loyalty, so it was a wash. You'll both have to deal with some detentions, however, and Professor Dumbledore was quite adamant that you never do anything like this again without proper supervision."

"Need to talk to . . . ." She started.

"You need to rest," Jean insisted.

"No." Jamie was adamant. "Need to talk to Professor Snape. Important. Please."

Jean finally agreed. "I'll send someone to get him."

The next time Jamie opened her eyes, Snape was there and Jean was reluctantly mentally nudging her back to consciousness. "Couldn't resist playing the hero again, could you, Miss Potter?"

She figured she deserved that, but didn't let it stop her. "Professor, late on the night of the Sorting Ceremony, you followed Professor Quirrell out of the castle. Why?"

Severus Snape was surprised and he didn't like being surprised. "That's none of your business, young lady, and how could you have known that?"

"Please, Professor," Jamie pleaded. "It's really important. Life and death, even."

Something in Jamie's tone or expression or tone, most likely tone because the only parts of her not swathed in bandages were her eyes and a slit for her mouth, caused Snape to relent. "I saw him leaving the castle at an ungodly hour and was curious where he could be headed, so I followed him. I lost him when he went into the Forbidden Forest."

"You need to tell Aunt Wanda that Quirrell sets off my migraines," Jamie told them, at the end of her energy. "She'll know what to do."

Jamie went unconscious again without realizing her godmother was nearby, well within earshot. She immediately turned to Severus with determination and tightly controlled rage in her eyes. "Where is this Professor Quirrell, Severus?"

"What was she talking about?" Snape demanded.

The explanation was quite simple. "Jamie gets migraines whenever something related to Voldemort, be it a person, a spell or an artifact gets within a certain radius of her."

"We need to inform Professor Dumbledore." Snape was already heading for the door, his wand clutched tightly in his hand. "Quirrell's with a room full of students."

Beside Agatha Harkness and Dr. Strange, Professor Xavier had three X-Men with him and Tony had Wanda, Thor and Captain America with him. Black Widow and Hawkeye were also in the area, but not at the school at the moment. That gave them a total of ten heroes on the premises. That was in addition to Professor Dumbledore and the staff of Hogwarts, and Kingsley Shacklebolt and his team of aurors who were there aiding the investigation. They made for an impressive array.

"Our first concern, of course, is the students," Captain America said as they gathered in the main hall. "What level are they at and how long is it until the class ends, Albus?"

Dumbledore had known both Steve Rogers and James Howlett since they fought Grindelwald together during World War 2. "The students are Third Years and the class began less than fifteen minutes ago. They have well over an hour left. We dare not wait. We have no way of knowing what Quirrell is likely to do, but he has to suspect that his time is short."

Kingsley Shacklebolt agreed. "We have to move before he has a chance to take students hostage. How many entrances are there to the room?"

"Other than the windows," Dumbledore told them, "there are two; the main entrance that the students use and a second one through the attached teachers' quarters. It's normally magically warded, but I'll have the castle give you access. Understandably, Hogwarts is every bit as angry at what's happened as any of us are."

Steve blinked several times. "You talk as if the castle is alive."

Dumbledore smiled grimly. "In more ways than you can imagine, it is."

Steve let that drop.

"I can pull out the windows telekinetically without endangering the students," Jean, who was now in her full costume, submitted. "You'll have to replace them afterwards, but it will give us another means of access."

Steve was quickly coming up with a plan. "Professor Dumbledore, you and your staff should focus on evacuating the students. Mr. Shacklebolt, we'll need you and your aurors to cover them. Wolverine, Dr. McCoy and I can slip in quietly through the teacher's quarters. I wish we had Clint and Natasha here to join us, but we can't afford to wait. Miss Harkness, Dr. Strange, Professor Xavier, Thor; we'll need the four of you in reserve. We don't know what if any outside force this man can call in. He already recruited a troll to his service. We can't afford to assume he doesn't have more resources waiting to join him."

"I've been working on some modifications to my repulsors," Tony interjected. "If we catch him at the front of the class, I can erect a barrier between him and the students. I don't know how effective it will be against magic, but I've been dying to test it. In the very least, it will be something he's not used to dealing with."

Cap nodded to Tony. "I'd like you to join Wanda and Phoenix, and come in through the windows. Optimally, we'll want to get Quirrell outside and away from the school. Under other circumstances, I'd prefer to keep him contained, but the danger to the students is simply too great, so we get him outside and try to contain him there. Any questions?"

"Before anyone asks," Wanda said with a great deal of venom and determination, "When it comes down to it, Quirrell's mine. He nearly killed my goddaughter. With Sirius not able to be here, the responsibility . . . and the right fall to me."

"I'm sure we all want a piece of him, Wanda," Steve told her, "but you'll definitely get your shot."

Professor Dumbledore led Professors Flitwick, McGonagall and Snape into the room and strode up the middle aisle. "Students will please exit immediately through the nearest exit."

Shacklebolt and five other aurors entered right behind them, wands at the ready. "Professor Quirinius Quirrell, you are under arrest for consorting with the Dark Arts and endangering the students at this school. Come peacefully or we will take you by force."

"Really." Quirrell smiled evilly, immediately losing his stutter and timidity, and taking on a cold, calm almost resigned demeanor.

Before he could say anything more, the window was telekinetically ripped out and a wall of force appeared between Quirrell and the retreating students. At the same moment, Captain America led Wolverine and Beast in behind the corrupted Professor.

"Give it up, Quirrell," Cap said, announcing his presence. "You're surrounded and all exits are blocked."

Quirrell suddenly spun, wand appearing in his hand and pointed at the trio behind him. "Avada Kedavra!"

The bolt of green energy hit Cap's shield and went no further, much to the surprise of everyone but those who had been involved in the fight against Grindelwald. Even as the Black Panther's vibranium blades were able to hurt the poltergeist, the vibranium alloyed into the shield was proof even against magical energies.

Things began to move fast. Quirrell managed to avoid an attack of Wolverine's claws, but lost the back of his robes, then tried to cast a physical spell at Dumbledore and the students he was herding out of the room. The spell shattered Tony's force shield, but didn't go any further.

"That's good to know," Tony commented. "Jarvis, remind me to adjust the harmonics of the force shield. Maybe we can get Sirius or Remus to test it."

As a kick from the Beast stunned Quirrell, a telekinetic hand reached in through the now open window and pulled him forcefully outside, sending him tumbling across the lawn. He landed in a heap right at Wanda's feet.

"You almost killed my goddaughter," Wanda said in a voice as cold as death.

Having somehow managed to hold onto his wand, Quirrell tried to cast another killing curse at her, but her hex sphere hit first, causing his wand to explode and the spell to backfire on him. He was dead in an instant.

"Good work, people," Captain America called from inside the classroom.

"A bit anticlimactic," Tony noted.

"I'll take anticlimactic any day." Cap sighed.

When Jamie woke again and found Wanda sitting beside her, she had one question. "What happened?"

"Quirrell's been dealt with." Wanda smiled and caressed Jamie's gauze wrapped cheek. "The others have gone home. I'm not going anywhere until I'm sure you're better and Agatha will be staying for at least the remainder of the school year to replace Quirrell and teach you to control your power so you don't nearly kill yourself every time you use it. Jean didn't want to go without saying good bye, but Xavier insisted. She has classes to return to. She wants you to call as soon as you can stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time."

"Since I'm still in a body cast," Jamie mused with an attempt at levity, "I have to ask . . . will I ever play the violin again?"

Wanda smirked. "You never played it before, so I doubt it."

Jamie nodded. "Darn, and here I was hoping."

"Your prognosis is surprisingly good," Wanda told her seriously. "You used up nearly all the magical burn salve in the British Isles, but you shouldn't have any scarring. If there is, Professor Snape is working on an anti-scarring ointment you can use. Your broken bones and internal injuries have been healed. The body cast was more to keep you from accidentally exacerbating your condition in your sleep. Madame Pomfrey says we can likely remove it tomorrow."

"But . . . ." Jamie knew her godmother too well.

"The muscle and tendon damage to your legs will require months of extensive physical therapy before you regain full mobility, but if you work really hard you should be walking again, with help, before Christmas. Like the last time, however, the worst of the damage was done to your central nervous system. There's no way of telling in advance if there will be any long term side effects. That's another reason we're being so careful to take this all one day at a time."

"So," she said with a sigh. "It could have been a lot worse. Guess I got a lot luckier than I deserved."

Wanda frowned. "That's for sure. What were you thinking? You knew how dangerous chaos magic is."

Jamie shrugged. "I just couldn't think of any other way to save Hermione."

"That's bull, Jamie, and you know it." Wanda knew her goddaughter too well to let her get away with that. "You could have phased out and let it swing at you all night."

"I thought about that," Jamie insisted. "Trolls are pretty stupid, but sooner or later, it was going to figure out it couldn't hit me and find someone else to bash."

Wanda shook her head. "And just how long would it have taken your friends to find a teacher? They tell me they stumbled on Professor McGonagall almost right away. You certainly could have distracted it for that long. She could have turned the blasted thing into a tea cozy without working up a sweat."

Jamie started sulking, so Wanda knew she was getting through.

"You didn't need to use your chaos magic." Wanda knew the answer, but wanted Jamie to admit it for her own good. "Why did you?"

Jamie was in deep sulk and didn't respond. She knew the truth. She just wasn't ready to admit it yet.

"Well?" Wanda wasn't going to give up.

"I wanted to." Jamie's voice was small, barely above a mumbled whisper.

"I don't think I heard you," Wanda lied.

"I wanted to," Jamie admitted finally. "I wanted to be the hero. Okay!"

"Yes, kitten." Wanda surprised her. "It is okay. Given the people you grew up around, it was to be expected. In fact, I'd be very surprised and maybe even a little disappointed if didn't want to."

Jamie was about to say something, but Wanda wasn't finished yet. "But you're only eleven. You have a bit more growing to do before you're ready for that. I'll make you a deal. Maybe when you're fifteen, fourteen at the earliest if we feel you're mature enough, we'll consider letting you sidekick with one of the Avengers or join one of the younger X-Men teams for a summer, but you have a lot more to learn about yourself, about your powers and about the world before then."

"Fifteen!" Jamie groused. "That's like forever."

Wanda smiled patiently and shook her head. "It just seems that way because you're eleven. Trust me, kiddo. The time will pass before you know it. In the meantime, we're not putting the blocks back on your natural magic. At your age, we couldn't if we wanted to. It was different when you were five and they would have stayed in place if you hadn't removed them, but now, there's no going back. Ready or not, you're going to start coming into your power. All we can do now is see to it you get properly trained. For the rest of this school year, at least, you'll be spending one hour a night five nights a week with Agatha in addition to your normal studies, learning how to access the chaos without injuring yourself and possibly everyone around you."

When the cast was removed the next day, Jamie's legs were healed, but incredibly weak and unresponsive.

"You'll need to relearn how to move your legs and walk," Madame Pomfrey told her. "In the meantime, we'll need to come up with another way for you to get around."

Jamie concentrated and began to float a few inches, then a few feet above the bed. "Think I have that covered, ma'am. The first time I ran into chaos magic opened up new pooka and mutant abilities. I don't know if I've gained anything new this time, but I don't seem to have lost anything, at least. I've been experimenting. Flight, teleportation and my physical abilities are the last ones I still needed to test, but so far everything seems normal."

"That's a relief," Wanda said from her position next to Jamie's bed she hadn't left since Jamie woke up. "We'll see if we can't set the Room of Requirement up with a gym and set you up with some physical therapy. You already know most of the exercises and I know I don't have to worry about your motivation. Just don't push yourself too hard."

"Right now," Jamie said. "I just want to get to my room. I need a bath and I want to call Padfoot, Jean and Uncle Tony."

"Why Tony?" Wanda asked.

"I need him to design some attachments for my broom so I can still participate in the Quidditch games. I'm the Gryffindor seeker. They're depending on me."

Twenty minutes later, she was reclining on her own bed, propped up by a bunch of pillows and had just finished assuring her cousin and godfather that she was going to be fine. Now, she needed to talk to Tony.

"Hey, Kitten," he responded immediately. "How are you doing? Driving your godmother crazy, I hope."

"I heard that, Stark." Wanda laughed from just out of view of the screen.

"I'm good, Uncle Tony." Jamie laughed as Tony winced. "I need a favor. I told you I'm on the Quidditch team and I know Padfoot told you about the game. Now that I'm having trouble with my legs, I need a couple of special attachments for my broom so I can still maneuver . . . and yes, I have to use a broom. It's in the rules."

"Scan the broom with your communicator." Tony's curiosity was piqued and that was both a wonderful and a frightening thing to watch. "Then tell me what you have in mind."

She did as asked. "I'm thinking some kind of seat that can latch to the shaft just above the head and some kind of stirrups I can secure my legs into attached beneath it. What do you think?"

"Hmm." She could almost see the wheels in his head turning. "A rather low tech solution, but definitely workable. Maybe I can build some kind of gyroscope into the seat to help you maintain control."

"Nothing too much, Uncle Tony," Jamie admonished, laughing. "When Gryffindor beats Slytherin's back sides in the beginning of December, I don't want anyone saying I cheated. They're already going to say it. They're sore losers. I just don't want to give them any extra ammunition."

"I wouldn't think of it." Tony sounded hurt, but Jamie knew better. "It's just that you use your legs to help steer the broom. Strange tells me you won't have a lot of lower body strength for some time to come. I'm just thinking of a couple of things to help you balance that. It'll give me a reason to ask Sirius and Moonie to help me do a study on the aerodynamics of flying brooms. I've had that one on the back burner for quite a while and have some interesting theories. I should have a prototype for you to play with by Thanksgiving. You'll have to get us tickets to the game the week after. I want to see you in action; see how the tech works and what I need to do to tweak it."

Jamie laughed at Wanda's rolled eyes. "I'll talk to Uncle Albus and see what we can do."

Even as Jamie was wrapping the call to Tony, an owl arrived on the window sill opposite the foot of her bed. Wanda got up and opened the window to retrieve the message and send the bird on its way. The letter it carried was for Wanda, but Jamie could see the tension and anger rise as she read it, then crumpled it in spite.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing for you to worry about, kitten," Wanda lied.

"I'm already worried, Aunt Wanda," Jamie insisted. "You might as well tell me, I'll just have to find out on my own if you don't."

Wanda sighed and caressed Jamie's face. "It's from the Ministry. They've called for a custody hearing. Sirius and I are required to appear before them immediately to show why we should be permitted to remain your guardians. They know Sirius can't come without being arrested. I think they assumed I would have returned to America by now and miss the hearing as well."

Jamie manually lifted her legs from the bed and began to fly. "I need to get a quick bath and get dressed if I want to put on a good impression when I go with you."

"I don't think they feel your presence is necessary, kiddo." Wanda knew better than to try to dissuade Jamie in this.

"Of course they don't." Jamie's dander was up and that didn't bode well for anyone who got in her way. "It's not like they're deciding anything important, after all, just my life."

Wanda moved to help her, but Jamie had a different idea. "I can bathe myself and get dressed telekinetically if I have to, Aunt Wanda. Go get yourself ready and you might want to let Uncle Albus and Aunt Agatha know what's going on. It's time we taught the Ministry not to mess with the Avengers."

Wanda nodded and began writing a very carefully worded letter while Jamie took a quick bath. It was time to nip this in the bud before things got out of hand. She just hoped she wouldn't have to turn any of the members of the court into toads in order to get her point across. Just because she could and would if she had to, didn't mean she wanted to . . . no matter how much part of her wanted to.

In record time, Professor Dumbledore and Agatha Harkness joined Wanda and Jamie in the front entrance. An owl was already dispatched to the Ministry informing them that there would be a contestation of their custody challenge and they would be arriving within the hour. They would still only be expecting Wanda, of course. They were in for a rude awakening.

"We'll need to go to Hogsmeade and apport from there," Dumbledore informed them. "The wards on the school inhibit apportation anywhere nearer to the castle."

Hagrid was waiting for them out front with a carriage to take them. "Ah'll git ye there alright, Professor. Just you wait an' see."

Jamie didn't want to wait for the carriage. It was all Wanda could do to keep her from flying ahead. Only the fact that she wouldn't get there any sooner if she did deterred her in the end; that and the fact that she wasn't sure she had the energy to make it so soon after her injury. The body cast had only been removed a little over an hour ago, for heaven's sake. She wasn't happy about it, however, and her attitude showed it.

"We'll use the floo network from the fireplace at Honeydukes." Dumbledore steered the group forward.

A moment and a somewhat wild ride that Jamie would have enjoyed under any other circumstances later and they exited a fireplace in the main hall of the Ministry.

Wanda quickly checked her crumpled summons. "The hearing is on the tenth level, courtroom 10. They're pulling out all the stops on this one."

"Let them," Jamie growled, flexing her claws as she let Hagrid carry her.

Wanda almost shuddered. The Ministry was in for a tough hearing. Between her, Dumbledore, Agatha and Jamie, they had no idea what they'd gotten themselves in for. Wanda entered first, slamming the doors open with a little magical push. She was flanked by Dumbledore and Agatha. Hagrid took up the rear, carrying Jamie. If they wanted a show, they were going to get one in spades.

"I'm here," Wanda said contemptuously. "Let's get this farce over with. I have important things to take care of and my goddaughter needs her rest."

"There's no reason to drag her through this," Fudge stammered, trying to show he was in control.

"It's my life you're talking about," Jamie spat, rejecting the chair someone tried to bring for her. "You better believe I'm going to be here. Where do you get off challenging my custody in the first place? It's not like you've given a damn for the past ten years."

"See here, young lady," Fudge insisted as Hagrid held Jamie gently. "This court will not be spoken to with such disrespect."

"This court gets the respect it deserves." This time it was Agatha who spoke.

"None," Wanda added.

"What are the charges, Minister?" Dumbledore remained the voice of reason.

Fudge nodded to the bailiff who read the charges. "It is the accusation before this court that the guardians of the juvenile, Jamie Wanda Potter, have through dereliction of their duties or actual malfeasance repeatedly exposed their charge to unnecessary danger and anti-social activities. To wit, exposing her to hazardous chaos magic against Ministry restraint of such practice, encouraging the use of wandless magic in direct violation of Ministry policies and exposing her to seditious theories of such persons as Agatha Harkness, Dr. Stephen Strange and Dr. Jericho Drumm. It is further accused that one of the child's guardians is a wanted criminal, while the other repeatedly exposes her to danger by permitting her to spend time with certain groups of so-called American heroes, namely the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, as well as to the suspected mutant terrorists, the X-Men."

Wanda was about to reply, but Jamie had Hagrid carry her right up to the dais. "You sure you want to do this, Minister? I really like attending Hogwarts, but if you mess with my family, I'll be on the next quinjet out of here and you'll all never see me again. I've already been accepted to two prestigious schools in the US; Ilvermorny and Xavier's. For that matter I've been training independently for four years and could just continue doing that. It'll be pretty hard for you to explain how you pretty much chased me away the next time Voldemort decides to show up."

"The Dark Lord is dead, young lady," Fudge insisted.

"If he's dead, who was behind Quirrell?" Jamie challenged him. "It took me too long to figure it out, but what I was sensing the few times he accidentally got close enough to me wasn't some minion or spell or artifact. I've sensed enough of those since I left England to know the difference. This was a lot more powerful. That's why he seated me towards the back of the class and rarely if ever left his desk up front. Even then, I kept getting migraines every time I went to his class. When he came within ten feet of me on Halloween, I almost passed out, it was so strong."

Fudge was confused.

"Yes, Minister," Dumbledore informed him. "Miss Potter has the ability to sense the presence of dark magic; particularly magic and people connected to Voldemort. It's a tested, quantified and proven ability, as are all of her gifts. I can provide the court with the documentation on request."

He paused. "Professor Quirrell went on sabbatical last year. When he returned, I and many other members of the faculty noticed a change in him. Magical scans of his body in the aftermath of the fight two days ago showed residual levels of dark magic I haven't detected since I confronted the dark wizard, Grindelwald, during World War II. I have every reason to believe that Quirrell was acting under the direct guidance, if not outright possession, of dark magic on a scale that this community hasn't seen since the fall of Voldemort. I'm not prepared at this time to declare that this force WAS the Dark Lord himself, but neither am I willing to dismiss the possibility. I've made no secret of the fact that I at least suspect we may have not seen the last of the man."

"You would do well to keep such seditious theories to yourself, Professor," Fudge warned. "Voldemort is dead. He died when his spell backfired and turned Miss Potter into what she is now. I'll not have anyone fomenting unfounded panic in the community, not even you."

"Since when are carefully considered thoughts, hypotheses and scholarly conjectures considered seditious in this community, Minister?" This question came from a woman named Amelia Bones, the mother of one of her fellow First Years. "Professor Dumbledore was merely sharing his well-researched concerns and this court should not only thank him, but seriously consider the possibilities he raises."

"And challenging the credentials of three of the most influential casters in America won't get you very far, either," Dumbledore added.

"Yeah," Jamie grabbed the opportunity. "Dr. Strange isn't in the Congress, but he's the Sorcerer Supreme. When he speaks, they listen. You might think about following their example. As for Professor Harkness, until she retired last year, she had a seat in the Congress and was even the President. And don't even get me started on my godmother's credentials. How many times have you saved the whole world, Minister? She's done it half a dozen times just in the past few years."

"Be that as it may," Fudge insisted trying yet again to take control of the hearing, "it is irrelevant to this hearing."

"Okay," Jamie said angrily. "Let's talk about what's relevant. Your charges are crap and you don't even have the right to charge anyone with anything when it comes to me. I'm not a ward of this court."

"Of course you are." Fudge wasn't sure where she was going.

"No," Dumbledore clarified, "she actually isn't. The Ministry has known where she was for a decade. You've known about her relationship with Dr. Strange, the Avengers and the X-Men and have raised no issue with it until now. Sirius Black has been her primary guardian the whole time and you've done nothing to change that. If you were going to challenge guardianship, the time to do it was then, not now."

He paused for effect. "Further, although the Ministry has strong opinions regarding what is known as natural magic, it is NOT against any laws; the Ministry's or anyone else's. While I'm a bit too old and set in my ways to learn natural magic, myself, I'm quite aware of the rules governing it. The fact that Jamie is naturally tied to chaos magic could not have been predicted by anyone and therefore her godmother can hardly be held accountable for what happened six years ago. Not even Professor Harkness, who was there, could have known about Jamie's affinity until it manifested."

"Trust me, Minister," Jamie added, "the last thing you want to do is get between me and my family. Even if you could somehow control me . . . and you can't, what would you do with me? I'm a pooka and a mutant in addition to my magic. I can fly, teleport, become invisible at will, even walk through walls; and those are only a few of my abilities. Aunt Wanda tells me that although they put blocks on me using chaos magic before, they can't do it again. It was one thing when I was five. It's a whole different matter now. I can only cast about a dozen spells without a wand, but three of them are doozies. That genie's not only out of its bottle, it's left the country."

"I'm curious," Minister Bones brought up. "You said three of the spells you can cast without a wand were . . . in your words, doozies. What are they?"

Jamie smiled. "Patronus, Wand Breaker and Avada Dementis, which destroys Dementors."

There was a tumult on the panel until a man whose name plate identified as Minister Thicknesse spoke up sarcastically. "You expect this court to believe that an eleven year old girl can cast a Patronus spell; without a wand no less?"

She shrugged. "I don't care what you believe."

Suddenly, she gestured and yelled. "Expecto Patronum!"

The creature that appeared was a massive male lion. It towered above the panel and was very obviously quite solid. Several members of the panel expressed shock. Thicknesse and Fudge, along with a woman named Umbridge, seemed about to soil themselves. Then the lion roared and the wall trembled.

"Thank you, Leo," Jamie said and the lion vanished, to the relief of several people on the panel. "Sorry. Couldn't resist showing off a bit there. I don't brag."

"I note," Fudge said, "you listed a spell that's been forbidden by the Ministry."

Jamie laughed in his face. "I know why, too. When some idiot in this Ministry sent a group of Dementors to invade America and attack me, my godfather had to use that spell to deal with them. He taught it to me in case I needed it. By the way, it's not a forbidden spell in America."

She paused, but moved on quickly. "As far as Sirius is concerned, why don't you idiots get your heads out of your hindquarters and admit he wasn't involved in the murder of my parents? Professor Dumbledore knows it. I know it. My godmother knows it or he wouldn't still be breathing. Even you guys know it or you would have worked a lot harder to get me away from him. If he was involved with Moldywarts do you think I'd still be alive?"

"That subject isn't up for discussion here today," Fudge insisted.

"You made it part of the discussion when you listed his legal status in your charges." Dumbledore smiled at the opening Jamie had given him.

"He has you there, Minister," Amelia Bones noted.

Fudge was ready for it, however. "Whether or not Sirius Black was involved in the deaths of James and Lily Potter is a matter to be set before a trial he avoided by fleeing to America. Should he return to England, he would get his trial and the truth would be brought out. Of course, he won't do that. While his involvement with the Death Eaters may be in doubt, his use of an unforgivable curse in front of a crowd of Muggles is most definitely not."

Wanda jumped on that. "If you weren't so busy covering your . . . assets on the first, you wouldn't care about the second."

"Let's streamline this thing," Jamie said finally getting bored of the circus. "Wanda and Sirius are my guardians because that's what my parents wanted. You don't have any say over that and I'm not going to let you tell me who gets to raise me. You all abandoned me when I was taken to America. I want to thank you for that, by the way, and I really mean it. In fact, I think you should stick with that decision. Since my parents were killed, Professor Dumbledore, Padfoot, Moonie and Tonks are the only people from England to care what happened to me. Please don't pretend you care now."

"You weren't in our jurisdiction until two months ago," Fudge insisted.

"And she's not there now," Wanda countered. "I'm not and have never been a British resident, much less citizen. I was born and raised in Eastern Europe and am a naturalized US citizen. As my ward, that citizenship carries over to Jamie until she turns eighteen."

"As far as the American Magical Community is concerned," Agatha told them. "We have no intention of giving you anything with regards to Jamie. I've had reason recently to speak with Cassandra Boot, President of the Congress of Magic, on this subject. She's said she's inclined to follow the lead of Dr. Strange on this matter, so he's the man you'll need to talk to. I don't think you'll find him very receptive, however; something about banning him from even entering Britain; much as you did me and Miss Maximoff; and which you lack both the authority to dictate and ability to enforce."

"We're going to leave now," Jamie said just before asking Hagrid to carry her out of the courtroom. "I intend to go home for Christmas. If you think you can stop me, that would be the time to do it. I don't recommend it. The Avengers are sending a quinjet for me."

She paused. "One more thing, Minister Fudge. I don't like you. You're a petty little man who thinks he's a lot more important than he is. If you try to mess with me again, I'll make it my personal pleasure to destroy you politically. If you think I can't, just try me."

With that, she nodded to Hagrid and they left with the others gathered around them. Jamie wasn't about to show it in front of Fudge, but she was exhausted. That Patronus charm took more out of her than she showed. For that matter, the whole hearing did. She was asleep before they reached the carriage.

In a long abandoned chamber deep beneath Hogwarts, a shade hovered around the slumbering form of the massive basilisk that called the chamber home, speaking in a voice as dry as last year's leaves. "Rest now, beloved. Your time has not yet come. Even though that fool Quirrell failed me, my enemies still have no idea how close I am to them and their precious secrets. I still lack the strength to maintain form for prolonged periods, but your body will suffice for now. Soon though, I'll need to take more drastic measures."

Actually, Quirrell succeeded somewhat better than he had expected. Possessing the man had enabled him a far greater freedom of movement. He'd even been able to make direct contact with his still loyal Deatheaters and check on the plans he set in motion three years earlier. It permitted him to set up his little Halloween surprise on the tenth anniversary of his greatest failure. Unfortunately, in his final rebellion, the fool managed to briefly override his commands and warn the fools. He'd even gotten close enough to the Potter whelp to set off her damnable ability to detect the presence of his followers and tools.

Still, it had been a final futile attempt of a desperate man who knew he was beaten. And now, that man was dead. The Imperious spell he put on Quirrell after he regained control had cost him far too much of his carefully hoarded power, but it insured his presence wouldn't be detected once the man was exposed. Part of the command insured that Quirrell would take his own life rather than let himself be taken. That hadn't been necessary as it turned out, thanks to the mudblood mutant witch Wanda Maximoff.

Tired beyond words, the pitiful shade of the bitter man born Tom Riddle finally permitted himself to sink into the form of the sleeping serpent. It was time to rest. Tomorrow he would plan and begin to gather the power he would need to act when the time was right. It would be a great deal more difficult without having Quirrell as a tool, but it was still more than possible. There was power in a great many things. One just had to be willing to take it.

Before the current school year was over, he would act. If all went as it should, he would be restored. Better yet, Dumbledore would be discredited and Jamie Potter would be dead. He would then be free to complete the mission he embarked on so many years ago.


	7. 07: Wheels within Wheels

**Third Edition Writer's Notes: I don't** _ **think**_ **I'm overpowering my main narrative with references to Ilvermorny and MACUSA. At least I hope I'm not. Given that Jamie was raised in the US and the problematic relationship I see developing between the Congress and the Ministry in my story, they do need to be referenced in several of the scenes I've already written.**

 **For the rest of the edits, I see one or two references here, a major reference in Chapter Nine and possibly a visit to Ilvermorny in Chapter Ten. I don't see any real changes to Chapter Eight and don't foresee any references in Chapter Eleven which is the new chapter I'm currently working on. I haven't plotted Chapter Twelve yet, except to decide it will include Jamie and Ron's return to Hogwarts and their delayed detentions for Halloween.**

 **Chapter Seven: "Wheels within Wheels"**

The next six weeks passed quickly at Hogwarts as the fervor over Halloween died down. Rumors regarding what actually happened that night and how Jamie got hurt, as well as what happened to Professor Quirrell, originally abounded. The school tried to explain the truth as honestly as they could without traumatizing the students. Everyone soon knew Jamie was injured fighting a troll, which wound up with everything above the waist disintegrated. Professor Quirrell, who they were told let the troll in, died in a fight with the Avengers two days later.

A couple of students with Ministry contacts even heard about the custody hearing, but Jamie insisted that was a non-story and only Draco tried to make an issue of it. "Your guardians are as much freaks of nature as you and your parents. Maybe you should make good on your threat to head back to America and go to Ilvermorny. A second rate school like that deserves a second rate freak like you."

When he woke up the next morning with green hair, he tried to place the blame on Jamie, but there was no evidence. Whoever was responsible, however, was very good. It took Madame Pomfrey a week to figure out how to turn it back to its familiar platinum. She finally had to shave his head and let it grow back naturally. Any attempt to magically enhance growth resulted in green locks.

Meanwhile, Jamie had more than enough other problems to deal with. For one thing, her injuries caused her to miss a whole week of classes. Fortunately, Hermione and Parvati were there to help her catch up. She also had daily physical therapy with Madame Pomfrey and daily training sessions with Aunt Agatha; now Professor Harkness. The combination had her too busy to get into too much mischief. Cursing Draco notwithstanding.

At least Defense against the Dark Arts class was a lot more interesting. Virtually every student in the school hovered between being in love with Agatha and being in awe of her. Not even the Slytherin kids could question her pedigree and her power was on par with Dumbledore. When Agatha showed up uninvited, but most welcome, for the first Marauders meeting after Jamie's recovery, however, and decided to invite any Marauders who wanted to come to share in Jamie's training sessions, things became even more interesting . . . in some very good ways.

"With so many of you learning natural magic," Agatha told them, "I'd be willing to open training to any who wish to attend. My main purpose is to train Jamie so she doesn't hurt herself or blow any more holes in the school, but I believe she will learn more quickly with others around her and I do enjoy being surrounded by the young. It helps me stay young myself."

"I can only teach you what little I know," Jamie told them. "She's an absolute master of the art."

The Weasley twins and over a dozen First Years took her up on the offer and in the first class, she took the time to get to know each of them a little better. "So, Jamie tells me you've gone over how natural casting works. How many of you have discovered your strengths?"

The Weasley twins and a half dozen others raised their hands and she smiled. "Excellent. Fred and George, she already told me that you're both Trickster specialists. That's very close to chaos, but not quite as dangerous."

"And that's a good thing," the twins responded in stereo and George added. "Besides, being Tricksters is a lot more fun."

"My strength is Knowledge, or the Sage," Hermione responded when asked. "That's hardly surprising. I've always loved learning things . . . almost anything, really."

"She's a regular bookworm, she is." Ron laughed.

"What's your specialty, Ronald?" Agatha inquired.

"Earth," Ron told her. "I just figured it out a couple days after Halloween."

"And a strong specialty it is," Agatha told him. "Stable and supportive; life giving and reinforcing; a good basis for a great many things."

"I'm Light," Parvati Patil announced.

"I'm Shadow," her sister, Padma added. "Why is that, Professor? Fred and George are the same, why aren't we?"

"Oh," Agatha told her, "but you are closer than you realize, child. Light and Shadow are forever intertwined. You can't have Shadow without Light, after all. They are opposite sides of the same coin, if you want to use the old cliché."

"I hadn't thought of it like that," Padma said in a voice filled with awe.

"In many ways, but with many exceptions, you have different facets of the same strength," Agatha continued. "You'll find that you can do much of the same things, albeit in different ways. You should consider ways to combine your spells. The synergies between your strengths should be quite impressive."

Hannah Abbott discovered early that her strength lie in Healing magic, while Neville's strength was Nature.

"At first," he told Agatha, "I thought it was only Plants, but Jamie thought it might be more than that."

The rest of the group had yet to determine their personal strengths, but Jamie figured that would change, now that they had a real teacher.

"Magic," Agatha told them from the rocking chair the room had supplied her, as the students gathered at her feet, "is first and foremost an exercise of will. It requires your will to be stronger than the limits imposed on you by reality. Wands and incantations are useful for focusing your magic, but without the will, you can do nothing. You have to believe you can bend your environment to fit your desire. That is why natural magic is built from strengths. Find what you love; what you're passionate about; what you do best. That will likely guide you to your strength."

"I don't know that I'm all that passionate 'bout anything really," Seamus noted, sadly.

Jamie hit on an idea. "You're good at pyrotechnics. You made that feather in Charms class Halloween morning burst into flame. Of course, you were trying to get it to levitate, but . . . ."

Seamus originally blushed at being reminded of that fiasco . . . by a girl, nonetheless. He soon turned thoughtful, however, as he considered the possibilities. He had yet to try to ignite anything without a wand. He decided to give it a shot and succeeded far beyond his wildest imagination. Even Agatha was impressed; once she put the flames out, of course.

It was an interesting start for what would be a most interesting class. On other fronts, Jamie's life was beginning to return to some semblance of normalcy. The attachments from Tony arrived as promised and performed even better than expected, enabling Jamie to participate with her house. The game against Slytherin was just short of a blowout. Jamie even caught the snitch, albeit in her teeth, but a win is a win.

One important thing did happen about a week before the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Jamie and Agatha were alone in Agatha's quarters. Ebony, Agatha's "cat" and the kitten, Ororo, who had become fast friends, were curled up on the floor, napping after some spirited play. Jamie's mind had been weighing a question for some time and she finally brought it up to Agatha.

"Aunt Agatha," she asked over tea, "why didn't you or Dr. Strange stop Voldemort ten years ago? I thought the Ministry had some way to keep you from coming to Britain, but that's obviously not true. Why didn't you . . . ?"

"Why didn't we save your parents?" Agatha smiled sympathetically.

"Yeah."

The old woman sighed. "I wasn't on Earth during that time, child. I didn't leave New Salem until a few years afterwards. Stephen, on the other hand, informs me that he was in the Dark Dimension fighting to keep Dormammu from invading our reality. If either of us had known how much of a threat Voldemort posed to the world and been in a position to respond, we would have at least tried to deal with him. I don't know that I would have been able to do much. I have a great deal of knowledge, but I'm by no means the most powerful sorceress in the world."

Jamie smiled. "You'd have kicked his butt."

Agatha smiled and touched the child's cheek affectionately. "That's nice of you to say, dear."

Nick Fury paced the width of the conference room. He was never comfortable when it came to dealing with magic. Alien tech, super science, doomsday devices; that stuff he could deal with. Even if he didn't understand how it worked, it followed the rules of physics and nature. Magic thumbed its nose at his universe. He knew it was real and even had several reasonably powerful practitioners in his employ and worked regularly with MACUSA. That didn't mean he liked it or trusted the art.

He liked dealing with the man before him even less. If magic was a weapon, Dr. Stephen Strange was the equivalent of a walking nuke. Very little scared Nick Fury. Stephen Strange was on a very short list.

"How many artifacts did you say are missin' again?" Nick resisted the urge to bite through the cigar in his mouth.

"Nine." Strange was obviously worried and that worried Fury even more. "That I'm aware of. One from my own sanctum."

"Ain't that s'posed t' be impossible?"

Strange shook his head. "Nothing is impossible, Director, but my security measures are formidable. Whoever did this was extremely gifted or exceptionally lucky."

Nick slumped into the chair at the head of the oval table and put his cigar in an ashtray. "What'd they take . . . from you, that is?"

"It's called the Staff of Damballah," Strange informed him. "A powerful artifact in the religion you would know as voodoo. It bequeaths to its wielder the knowledge of a great many spells; many of which are best left to the realm of legend and myth. It's also said that the wielder of the staff cannot die or be killed so long as it's in his hand."

Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. The headache that started the second Strange appeared on his bridge was progressively getting worse. "An' th' other eight are on par with this staff?"

"When it comes to artifacts of this power, it is difficult to make comparisons. Two were stolen from locations in China: the Crown of Longmu 'Mother of Dragons' and a jade figurine representing the Chariot of Doumu 'Mother of the Heavens'. A collection of pages copied from the Darkhold and a set of robes believed to have been worn by Merlin were stolen from Great Britain. The Amulet of Kukulcan was stolen from a museum in Southern Mexico. An artifact believed to have belonged to Vlad Tepes, the Impaler's Cross, was stolen from Doom's Castle in Doomstadt. The Pelt of the White Gorilla and the Headdress of the Lion God were both stolen from the royal museum of Wakanda. It was only after the thief was interrupted during the theft of the Pelt, which had only recently been returned to the museum, was the theft of the Headdress even discovered."

He paused. "It was this last robbery that alerted us to the thefts. Here, the thief was seen leaving. Four guards were killed and not even King T'Challa was able to defeat the thief. By the descriptions of witnesses, I'm led to believe that we're dealing with some kind of powerful poltergeist."

Fury raised an eyebrow. "I thought poltergeists were generally pranksters and not necessarily malevolent."

"Some are," Strange corrected him, but knew full well that the leader of SHIELD comprehended a great deal more about magic than he admitted to. "Some are not. Simplified, poltergeists are ghosts or spirits that can directly affect and interact with the physical world. Most ghosts are audio and visual, often even possessing the ability to mimic smells, but very rarely able to move or touch things. This one seems to have a penchant for theft and murder rather than pranks."

Fury still had some questions. "How'd these powerful artifacts just vanish without anyone bein' th' wiser?"

"With the exception of the last," Strange admitted. "Each was replaced with an extremely convincing replica. The pelt likely would have been replaced as well had the thief not been caught in the act. Only when T'Challa sent out word through the magical underground did most of us take closer looks at our collections. We've since confirmed the nine thefts. There could be more; artifacts whose owners aren't on the network, or don't want to admit were stolen or even in their possession."

Fury nodded. "And you think these thefts are linked to what happened to Jamie Potter on Halloween. Any chance this poltergeist was the man himself?"

"Voldemort?" Strange shook his head. "I doubt it. According to Dumbledore, he's not the sort to do his own dirty work. He saves his energies for bigger targets. Besides, even assuming he did survive his death, which is looking more and more likely, there's no way he's regained enough power in just a decade to pull something like this off. Without a body, just remaining on this plane of existence would have to take practically everything he has. With even some of these artifacts in his possession, however . . . ."

An orderly brought a mug of Irish coffee for Fury and a cup of tea for Strange as Stephen continued. "No, this thief is likely just another of his operatives. We know he had alliances with the giants and werewolves, among a great many other unsavory sorts. I have resources looking into the thief's identity."

Fury took a sip from his mug and relaxed ever so imperceptibly. "Just in case you're wrong about this being some kind of spirit, I'll have my people look into some of the super criminals we have on our radar. This sounds like something the Ghost or Foreigner would be interested in. If the Black Cat hadn't gone mostly legit the past few years, it would be right up her alley.

Strange nodded as Fury continued. "I've been in touch with SHIELD's British counterparts. Their Weird Happenings Organization has a huge file on Voldemort and his lackeys. Their Director, Baroness Jacqueline Falsworth, is an old friend from the War. She agrees that the Ministry of Magic has its collective heads up its collective asses. She keeps an eye on onetime Death Eaters and has seen an uptick in activity in the past year. She thinks they've been in contact with her own family black sheep, a vampire called Baron Blood; the new one. Her uncle was destroyed almost a decade ago. Her own son seems to have stepped into his shoes."

"I'm familiar with both of them," Strange told him, "and with Baroness Falsworth. I wouldn't have expected that particular alliance, however. Despite their name, the Deatheaters have traditionally steered clear of things like vampires, necromancers and the undead."

Fury nodded. "Report from W.H.O. is that Voldemort felt necromancers and bocors and the like were poorly trained charlatans. He's not in charge of the old gang at the moment, though. By all reports, they've broken into two camps. Lucius Malfoy is in control of the one believed to be allied with the Baron. Seems he's takin' a more enlightened approach than his old boss did."

Strange frowned. "I've crossed paths with Malfoy before. He's as dangerous in his own rights as Voldemort ever was; not as powerful, maybe, but definitely craftier and probably saner. Still, he may only be a figurehead. There's an extreme likelihood that Voldemort is the one pulling his strings . . . at least to a point."

"So, where does this leave us?" Fury watched Strange over his steaming mug.

"I believe Halloween was a sacrifice play." Strange finished his own cup of tea. "Voldemort used Quirrell, then threw him to the wolves. I don't know what he gained or hoped to gain from the play, but he had to know that Dumbledore would eventually link the attack to Quirrell. Whatever else he wanted to accomplish, Halloween was a statement. It's not for naught that it came on the tenth anniversary of his fall."

Fury laughed without humor. "You noticed that too, didya? One thing we know f'r sure is the man plays a long game. He's got schemes in schemes an' wheels in wheels goin'."

Strange was in full agreement. "Fortunately, for the next few weeks at least, Jamie will be out of his reach. We have until the beginning of the year to figure out what Voldemort's up to before she returns to Hogwarts. I believe my next step is to have a long conversation with Dumbledore. There's something he's not telling us."

"Ya think the old man's keepin' secrets?"

Strange shook his head. "Of course he is and with good reason. I simply need to determine which of those secrets is Voldemort's target."

By the time the Christmas holidays arrived Jamie was more than ready to go home. The Weasley boys were going to be spending Christmas at Hogwarts. They didn't say so, but Jamie figured it had something to do with money being as their parents and sister were spending the holidays with one of their older brothers. The twins had a friend whose family lived in Hogsmeade and had been invited to spend the holidays there. That just left Ron and Percy. Jamie figured Percy could look out for himself, but she felt sorry for Ron. The solution was simple. She invited him to come to New York with her.

"The Avengers are great," she told him, "but it's kind of nice to have friends my own age around. I was home schooled, so those are in small supply in New York. There are the Powers kids, but they all go to public school. Alex and Julie are both older than me; Jack's a brat and Katie barely started kindergarten this year. Franklin is the closest thing I've had to a friend my own age. He's really cool. I think you'll like him. His kid sister Valeria is okay, but she's only like four or something. They're home schooled too."

"Don't I need a passport or something to go to America?" Ron asked, amazed that he was even being invited.

Jamie had that figured out. "Only if you were staying there for more than ninety days and you won't be. Besides, we'll be flying Avengers Air; no customs to go through. I already called Dr. Strange. He cleared everything with the Congress of Magic. Aunt Wanda and Padfoot gave me a thumbs up as well. I even checked with your folks before I invited you. I told them it would be a 'great educational opportunity' for you."

Ron had to laugh at the snooty tone Jamie used at the end. "You almost sound just like Professor McGonagall."

That settled it. Sirius, however, was more than a little concerned that Minister Fudge might try to interfere with their plans, so he took precautions. For the second time in as many months, an Avengers quinjet landed on the Hogwarts lawn. This time they brought Thor. The school made sure the Ministry knew who was coming well in advance, so Jamie wasn't expecting any trouble and there wasn't any.

Clint was flying and Dr. Banner was in the co-pilot seat. Although they weren't Avengers, Moonie and Tonks were with them. Jamie wasn't quite up to walking yet, but she still half dragged Ron aboard, introduced him to everyone and helped him get belted in. As soon as she was seated next to him, the powerful craft lifted and began the two hour low orbit return trip to New York.

"The rest of the team is dealing with a problem in outer space, but we expect them home well before Christmas." Clint told her, knowing what her first question was going to be before she even asked it. "Widow and I were on a mission for SHIELD when they left. She was still debriefing when we lifted for here. Thor was in Asgard."

Dr. Banner smiled self-deprecatingly. "Of course, the Hulk and space travel can make for a dangerous combination. The last thing they needed was the big guy punching through the outer hull of the ship or something. I know from past experience; he doesn't handle space travel well."

"Sirius is holding down the fort at the Avengers Tower," Tonks told her.

"Spiderman, Wolverine and Beast are on call if they're needed," Clint added. "They're all currently on reserve status for various reasons."

"I can't wait to get there." Jamie was practically bouncing with energy. "There's so much I still have to do before Christmas."

She started counting off on her fingers. "There's shopping, and I want to go ice skating, and shopping, and I want to visit Cousin Jean, and shopping, and . . . ."

Moonie turned to Thor. "I can't be sure, but I think there could be a theme in there somewhere."

"Verily." Thor smiled sagely.

Ron was sat in his seat in absolute awe. He wanted to pinch himself, but was almost afraid to do so. He couldn't believe he was sitting on an Avengers quinjet, flying across the Atlantic Ocean and sitting across the aisle from Thor. He'd even shaken the man's massive hand. If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up.

The awe didn't last long, of course. Jamie knew what to do to break it. She asked Thor to tell a certain story. It involved an eating contest between the Hulk and Thor's friend, Voltstagg. Before long, Ron was breathless with laughter; particularly at some of the amusing side comments Bruce threw in to highlight his side of the tale.

"I daresay," Bruce wrapped the story soberly, "it's the only time Voltstagg ever took second in an eating contest."

"Of that you can be assured, friend Banner," Thor informed him. ""He has sworn to return to Midgard during the Yuletide in order to reclaim his lost honor."

Bruce sighed. "He doesn't really stand a chance, you know. He may have a prodigious appetite and an Asgardian metabolism, but the big guy's digestive system is virtually a nuclear furnace."

Thor smiled mischievously. "Aye, but it makes for an impressive contest and it serves the big oaf's ego good to be taken down a notch or two upon occasion. Besides, I made a wager with my father. The jewel necklace he ventured will look particularly lovely around Jane's neck at Anthony Stark's Annual New Year's Ball."

Jamie laughed. "Looks like we're in luck, Ron. We'll actually get to watch the rematch live. This is going to be the best Christmas break ever."

"Wicked," was all Ron could think to say that would even come close to doing what he was feeling justice.

With most of the students and more than half of the staff gone for the holidays, Albus Dumbledore was finally able relax in his favorite easy chair for more than a few minutes at a time. As much as he loved the children in his care, the first few days after they went home for Christmas or the summer were always a wonderful time at Hogwarts. He knew that in less than a week he would begin to miss the hustle and bustle that students brought to the venerable old castle. For the moment, however, he had a large mug of mulled cider and a good book to read. Life was good.

When the astral figure appeared before him, he wasn't exactly surprised. The castle had wards against such intrusions, but they were never designed to repel someone with the power of the Sorcerer Supreme.

"Well, hello, Stephen." Dumbledore smiled. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

Strange smiled back. "My visit should hardly be unexpected, Albus. We've needed to have this conversation for a few months now; even more since Halloween."

"True," Dumbledore admitted sadly.

"He had to have a reason to come here." Of that Strange was certain. "It couldn't simply be because of Jamie. If it was that, he had ample opportunity to act during the first two months she was here. Nor do I believe his attack on Halloween was merely in commemoration of his attack on the Potters ten years earlier."

"No," Albus admitted. "Symbolism is one thing, but Tom wouldn't permit that to be his only motivation. You recognize the names Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, don't you?"

Strange nodded. "I never met them, but yes, I'm familiar with their work."

"It is possible that in the wake of an attempt to steal a certain object, they may have asked me to protect something for them. Given his likely condition and the abilities of said object, I believe that is what he's after. I assure you, however, that if such an item were here, it would be quite safe and so would the students. My staff and I would have gone to great lengths to insure that."

"I was afraid of that." Strange sighed. "I'm aware of nine stolen items, including the recent thefts from Wakanda."

"I heard of that incident, of course," Dumbledore confirmed. "I'm only aware of six other, all from Britain, for a total of eight. I know of the theft of Merlin's Robe. The Maiden's Sword, believed to have been wielded by Joan of Arc, vanished over the summer. The Stone Skull of Madagascar was taken from a private collection last spring. A ring on loan to the British Museum from the Louvre and believed to have belonged to Count Cagliostro was replaced with a replica but has been kept out of the news for diplomatic reasons."

"I knew about Merlin's Robe," Strange told him. "I also heard rumors about the possible theft of Cagliostro's Ring, but had yet to confirm it. The other two are new to me. Do you know anything about the Spear of Destiny? I've been informed that it was liberated from the Nazis by British agents in the last days of World War 2 and supposedly stored in a top secret vault somewhere in London."

Dumbledore sighed, but nodded. "It was confirmed as stolen just this morning. They have no way of telling precisely when it was taken, but are fairly certain it's been gone for at least several months. We believe the most recent theft, however, was a bound collection of pages copied from the Darkhold. We know that theft was recent, because the manuscript was last verified by aurors under orders from the Ministry in the first week of October."

He found himself in the rare position of praising Cornelius Fudge. "When word of the thefts reached the Ministry, Fudge rather wisely ordered an inspection of all magical artifacts in government custody. It's a lengthy process, which is why the Spear was only checked this morning. Due to a clerical error, however, the Darkhold pages were inspected twice; the second inspection coming two months after the first and confirming the documents to be fake."

"With the other five I'm aware of, that makes a total of thirteen items. The Amulet of Kukulcan was taken from Southern Mexico, the Impaler's Cross from Castle Doom, two artifacts from China and the Staff of Damballah from my own sanctum sanctorum."

"I heard rumors that the Crown of Longmu was taken off display in Hong Kong," Dumbledore mused, "but not of any others."

"The Crown was stolen," Strange confirmed. "So was a jade carving representing the Chariot of Doumu."

"Each of those items contain a great deal of magical potential." Dumbledore considered thoughtfully. "The Staff of Damballah and the Chariot of Doumu are believed to even be able to return the dead to life. He would just need a body and we both know of an item capable of doing that. The question is what plans does he have for the other items. He's never shown interest in that kind of power before; only in personal power."

Strange had already considered that. "He's had ten years to think about his failure. If I was in his position, I'd start looking for anything that might tip the odds in my favor. We know he's afraid of you, believing you're the only wizard powerful enough to defeat him. Now, he's got to be afraid of Jamie as well, given what happened when he tried to kill her. He's also never faced Wanda or Agatha or me and now has to know that we'll be on hand to stop any threats to Jamie. Any of these artifacts could make him a threat to any of us. A combination of several of them could potentially defeat all of us."

Dumbledore wasn't sure he wanted to dwell on that possibility. "Do you have any ideas on who the thief is?"

"We suspect a powerful poltergeist is involved," Strange told him, "but know little beyond that. It killed several Wakandan guards and escaped the Black Panther himself. His description could be little else. Director Fury is looking into other options among the metahuman criminals SHIELD has files on. I believe your Director Falsworth of W.H.O. is doing the same thing."

"These crimes would require a powerful poltergeist indeed to commit them." Dumbledore was thinking. "I once did a study on the world's most powerful ghosts. There's only one spirit I know of with the kind of ability and personality required for this. I know not what name he went by in life, but he's now known as Cassius, after one of the assassins of Julius Caesar; probably taking from the Shakespearean play. He's a skilled thief and sociopathic killer with hatred and disdain for the muggle world. One unconfirmed story I heard claims he was a scion of one of the more aristocratic pure blood families who was killed by a muggle security guard while robbing a museum."

"The study of ghosts is not one of my strong suits," Strange admitted. "I'm not ignorant of it, but no man can know everything, not even the Sorcerer Supreme. I'd like to have a read of this study of yours if you don't mind. It never hurts to educate yourself about potential opponents."

"I'll send you a copy of it by owl first thing in the morning," Dumbledore promised. "I believe I shall also have a conversation with some of the ghosts here at Hogwarts. They may have more up to date information on this poltergeist. The population of the spirit world is large, but they tend to keep track of each other."

"Do that." Strange prepared to leave. "I'll let Director Fury know this information and we will stay in touch. My personal suggestion is that you take that object that may or may not be hidden within this castle and get it as far from here as possible before the students return."

Dumbledore nodded. "If I had such an item and thought it presented even the slightest risk to my students, I would. Although I can neither confirm nor deny its existence, I can assure you that if it were here, it would be extremely safe and would pose no greater threat to the students here than living in this community in this era already does."

Strange nodded back, then vanished as quickly as he appeared. Dumbledore cast a quick spell to re-heat his mulled cider, then took a sip in deep contemplation. He needed to speak with the Flamel's and he needed to do it soon. He was beginning to regret agreeing to keep it while they made their decisions. The Philosopher's Stone was far too powerful an item to take lightly.

"I obtained thirteen of the fourteen items on your list for you," the poltergeist told Lucius. "Unfortunately, after much research, I've determined that the last is currently beyond even my skills. I'm the best in this very small profession. If I tell you it can't be done; it can't."

He paused, bitterly hating having to admit there was something even he couldn't steal. "Had your rival for control of the Deatheaters not bungled his attempt to steal it and keep you from getting it, thereby alerting the Flamel's that it was imperiled, causing them to give it to Dumbledore in hopes of keeping it safe, I could have obtained it without a problem. It being stored in Hogwarts now makes any attempt at theft a suicide mission. I already died once. I don't intend to do so again."

Malfoy held the piteous creature before him with highest disdain, but it did have its uses. "No matter. You've received payment for the items you successfully obtained for us. We've made other arrangements to get the Stone. Our business is therefore concluded."

"Please indulge a dead man's curiosity." Cassius held Malfoy and his allies in at least as much disdain as they held him. "Why these specific artifacts? True they are all items of great power, but there are many such items in this world. What attraction do these specific ones hold for your master?"

"That's not your concern . . . ghost." Malfoy said the last word like it was a vile insult. "You've done your job and been paid, now be gone. If we have further use for your skills at a later date, we know how to locate and contact you."

Truth was, not even the great Lucius Malfoy knew what Lord Voldemort wanted with these specific fourteen artifacts. No matter. His duty in this case wasn't to question the Dark Lord's orders, but to carry them out. That had been made extremely clear to him when he'd dared to ask. He didn't like it, but even given his reduced state of being and level of power, one did not question the will of Voldemort and live.

The unicorn was quite young; its coat only recently turned from vibrant gold to even more vibrant silver. Sheltered in the Forbidden Forest as its herd was, it should have had centuries of life yet to look forward to. Sadly, its life was about to be cut tragically and brutally short.

The shade that once had been born Tom Riddle floated across the land. He hated the state in which he'd been forced to survive, but even if he had a choice he wouldn't have let go of even this vestige of life. Unicorns were creatures of immense magical power. It was centered in their horns, but processing the energies therein was too involved than he was capable of accomplishing in his current form. Its blood, however, was a different matter. The blood of a unicorn was rich in power and it was his for the taking.

The poor unicorn barely let out a cry of fear and pain as Voldemort fell upon it, tore its throat open and gorged on its silver blood. If he had a salvageable soul left, this act would surely have condemned it. He cared not, of course. All Tom Riddle cared about was power; power and survival.

Unicorn blood would sustain him for quite a while, but he was after far more than sustenance. His dream of controlling the magical world, purging it of the impure and incompetent and culling the muggle community burned as brightly in his blackened heart as it ever had; more brightly even.

He had to reluctantly admit he'd made mistakes and those had led to his near-destruction. These made his road back even more difficult now, but no matter. He would NOT be denied his personally chosen, designed and self-written destiny. Ten years ago, not even the small British hero community had become involved. This time, he had no doubt that not only they, but the much larger and more powerful community of American heroes would definitely stick their unwanted noses in matters that were none of their businesses.

The American heroes, in particular, with their ties to Wanda Maximoff and through her to the Potter brat, would be problematic. Even Doom took them seriously and that fool feared nothing. The artifacts he'd chosen had been carefully researched over the last ten years. It had been foolish to reject their potential before. True, they weren't the kind of power he'd sought since that fool Dumbledore first revealed his potential. That didn't mean they couldn't be powerful tools. Used in the proper combination, they could enable him to defeat any foe.

His followers would put this to a preliminary test soon using but one of the artifacts in their possession. The plan was already being put into action, but would take a few more weeks before it came to full fruition. He could wait. Last time he'd rushed certain things and they had cost him.

Another mistake he made was rejecting certain . . . not allies or even assets, but tools; ghosts, vampires, bocors and other fringe magicians and lesser monsters. Maybe being trapped in the diminished form had given him a new perspective. The poltergeist, Cassius, had certainly proven valuable within his limits. The one known as Baron Blood was about to have a chance to do so as well.

Yes, mistakes had been made. Lessons had been learned. Someone once told him that the measure of a man wasn't in never making mistakes, but in not repeating them. He hadn't realized it at the time, but it was good advice. He almost regretted killing the man; almost.


	8. 08: Home for the Holidays

**Writer's Notes: Not expecting a lot of changes to this chapter, but there will likely be some . . . correcting typos and smoothing out language if nothing else.**

 **Chapter Eight: "Home for the Holidays"**

Leaving Hogwarts on Saturday, December 12th and not being due to head back until curfew on Sunday, January 3rd, so she would be ready for classes Monday morning, Jamie had just over three weeks to show Ron the wonders that New York in the winter had to offer. Unfortunately, it was unseasonably warm for the season, but that was a small enough matter when you had both Thor and Storm as close personal friends; not to mention, Iceman. On Monday, Jane and Pepper took Jamie shopping in a motorized wheelchair, and they dragged Ron along. He thought he was just there to hold doors and carry bags, but Jamie had other plans.

"What are we doing here?" Ron asked suspiciously as the trio steered him to a men's clothing shop.

"Getting you a proper tuxedo, of course," Jamie responded as if it was an already established fact.

Ron blinked. "What would I do with a bloody tuxedo?"

She smiled. "You can't very well attend Tony's New Year's Ball in your school robes, now can you?"

"Tony set it all up, Ron," Pepper told the flabbergasted tween. "Hercule is the best. He works miracles. That's why Tony gets all his suits made here. Today will just be your first fitting. We'll bring you back next week for your second, then do the final just after Christmas and it'll be delivered to the mansion before New Year's Eve."

Being awash in a sea of estrogen, Ron did what any sane male would in his situation. He sighed, rolled his eyes and let the women have their way. An hour and no small amount of embarrassment later, his first fitting was behind him and he had to admit, to himself at least, that it hadn't been quite as bad as he'd feared. It was a small enough price to pay to be able to hang out at Avengers Tower and rub elbows with not only the Avengers, but virtually the whole American superhero community. For that matter, most kids in both the muggle and magical communities would give their left arms for the chance and Ron was definitely no exception. He was fulfilling a dream he'd had almost as long as he'd dreamed of playing for the Chudley Cannons.

On Tuesday, Sirius, Jamie and Ron took the train to Westchester County. Logan was waiting for them at the station in Salem Center. He was leaning against a black SUV, a beer in one hand and a cigar hanging from his lips, his ratty cowboy hat pulled down low over his eyes. His back was to them and he was downwind. Jamie knew it was too much to hope for, but she couldn't resist.

"Stay here," she whispered to her companions, "Watch my chair and the bags."

She looked around to make sure no one was watching them, finding that there wasn't a lot of traffic at this hour. She quickly vanished and became intangible, then flew over until she was floating just above Logan's head, ready to make a grab for his hat. When she did, however, he wasn't there. He sidestepped her at the last moment.

"How ya doin', kid?" He grinned.

"No fair." She griped. "There's no way you could have known I was there."

He shrugged. "Ya hadta go solid t' make y'r grab. I felt th' air shift an' caught y'r scent at th' same time."

She jumped in his arms. "I've missed you, old man."

He hugged her. "Missed you too, kid. Lunch is waitin' an' the Cajun an' th' River Rat did th' cookin'."

"Hurry up, guys," she called back to her friend and her godfather. "You're not gonna wanna miss this."

"The Cajun and the River Rat?" He queried as he approached the car.

"Gambit and Rogue," Jamie explained. "They could open their own restaurant specializing in Cajun and Southern cuisine. Just don't let Remy, that's Gambit, trick you into trying his special sauce."

Logan loaded the bags into the car. "I won't even touch that stuff and I regenerate. I don't know what he puts in it, but I've chewed on ghost peppers and they ain't half as hot."

Lunch, as it happened, was fried chicken, with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn bread, all made from scratch. Gambit did add his trademark jambalaya with fresh shrimp and andouille sausage, but Rogue made him keep it mild. School was out and most of the kids who could were with their families, but there were still about twenty students and staff at the school, including Kurt, Ororo, Kitty, Peter and Hank.

Scott was with Jean, visiting her family in Annandale-on-Hudson. Jamie's plan was to spend a couple days at the mansion, then head over there for a few, then back to Manhattan for some serious sightseeing, shopping and time with family. First, however, while Kitty and Peter gave a fascinated Ron a tour of the campus, Jamie and Sirius had an appointment with Dr. McCoy and Dr. Celia Reyes down in the infirmary.

"Reporting for poking and prodding duty," she quipped as she rolled into the high tech examination room.

"We promise to make it as painless as possible." Hank smiled.

"Do you need help getting on the examination table?" Dr. Reyes asked.

"I'm good." Jamie floated out of her chair. "Let's get this over with."

She didn't know exactly what was up, but she could guess. They were worried about her recovery. She was too, to tell the truth.

Dr. Reyes was professional. Hank was reassuring. Sirius was worried and trying to hide it. Jamie was mainly nervous. The magical community had already done all they could for her, but she still didn't have as much strength in her legs as they felt she should at this point. In fact, she'd reached a plateau in her therapy that she didn't seem able to get past. Given her legs barely had enough strength to let her stand for a few seconds, that simply wasn't acceptable.

Nearly two hours later, the doctors didn't look very encouraging. That scared her more than a little, but she wasn't going to let anyone else know that.

"Okay, Uncle Hank." Jamie sat up. "What's the verdict? Give it to me straight."

His smile wasn't happy. "I'm afraid it's not good news."

Jamie bit her lip to keep it from trembling. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to cry. She tried to blink away the moisture forming in the corners of her eyes.

Sirius took a seat next to Jamie on the table and wrapped a comforting arm around her. She leaned into him, letting him hold her up.

"It's as we suspected," Hank told them, putting a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "The incident damaged Jamie's spinal chord. We're not without options, but it's not going to improve on its own."

Jamie steeled herself. "What are the options?"

"Given the way your magical nature responds to technology," Hank told her, "cybernetics are out. Even with Tony Stark's advances, it's just too risky. The best option is surgery. It's a risky procedure. No surgery anywhere near the spine is without risk, but I have faith in Dr. Reyes' abilities. Afterwards, however, you would have to be in a full body brace for up to three months to immobilize your spine while you heal."

Sirius held Jamie even closer. "Can surgery wait until the school year is over?"

Dr. Reyes shook her head. "I wouldn't recommend it. The longer we wait, the more scar tissue can form, making the procedure more difficult."

Jamie nodded. "You said options."

"I don't recommend the alternative," he told them, "but it's your call. The other option is Sage."

"I'm familiar with her powers," Sirius responded. "No."

Jamie looked up to her godfather with confusion. "She's a telepath."

"She also has the ability to activate latent mutations," he told her. "We know you have the potential for a healing factor, but there's no guarantee that's all she'd activate if we let her try."

Jamie was silent for several seconds. She didn't know Tessa as well as some of the other X-Men. The woman was a telepath with some unique abilities, including a gift of reading a person's genetic potential, but didn't seem all that comfortable around kids; something about growing up in a war zone.

"Padfoot," she said finally, not actually looking at him, so he couldn't see the fear and tears in her eyes. "You raised me to think for myself and make my own decisions. Dr. Hank admits surgery is risky; worse if we wait until summer vacation."

Hank and Celia both nodded in confirmation.

"The odds are low," Hank told her, "but the surgery could leave you paralyzed."

"I want to talk to Tessa," she decided, bucking up her courage. "Just talk. Even if we decide not to do this, it'd be cool to know what kinds of powers could be hiding away inside me."

Sirius wasn't sure about it, but he nodded for Hank to bring Tessa down to them. When she arrived, they filled her in on Jamie's condition.

"Jamie," she told the girl, knowing without being told what was about to be asked of her. "Your genetics is a soup. You're a mix of homo-magi, homo-superior and fae DNA. You have the latent potential to be Alpha class or even Omega class. You have recessive genes for shapeshifting, hyper-intelligence, illusion casting and telepathy, for example; amongst several other powers. You'll never develop them yourself without outside intervention, but your children or grandchildren could."

"What about the healing factor Hank told us about?" Sirius asked. "Could that make a difference?"

"That could be triggered naturally any time after she hits puberty," Tessa told them. "It will never rival Logan's, but it will be fairly impressive."

She paused, then addressed Jamie directly. "The problem is, you have a high potential for developing negative side effects; mental and physical imbalances that could kill you, drive you insane or rob you of your humanity, turning you into a monster."

Jamie looked Sage right in the eye. "Can you supercharge the healing thing without supercharging the rest of it?"

Tessa looked to the three other adults, then back to Jamie. "Probably, but I can't guarantee it. The biggest risk to you could be the loss of your ability to do magic. Left to itself, it wouldn't, but if I do it, the two genetic markers are in such close proximity that prematurely activating the one could cost you the other."

"That kills that idea, then," Jamie decided immediately and with great determination. "There's no way I'm risking my magic. I'd rather spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair."

Jamie turned to Hank. "Can I go back to school in this brace?"

He nodded. "I'd want Dr. MacTaggart to keep a close eye on you, but it should be possible. You'll need a lot of help, though; even with things like bathing and just going to the bathroom."

"Gross."

Sirius smiled. "I know some enchantments that could help with that; a levitation spell on the chair and some hygiene spells on the brace. Tony might be able to help. No Quidditch, however. Sorry, kiddo. We'll need to get in touch with Dumbledore and make sure the school staff are on board."

"When can we do this?" Jamie asked.

"The sooner, the better," Dr. Reyes told her.

"How about tonight after dinner?" Hank suggested. "We'll need to ask Forge to make the brace, which has to be customized specifically for you, but once he has your exact measurements, it shouldn't take more than a few hours for him to fabricate what you'll need."

"Don't I need to be fasting, or something?"

"With normal anesthesia, yes." Hank smiled. "We use telepathic anesthesia here. Either Tessa or the Professor will put you under and monitor you during the procedure, then we'll let you sleep the rest of the night and check on you in the morning."

"I need to call Jean."

That night, after dinner, Jamie hugged Ron and Sirius, then laid face down on the operating table. That was the last thing she remembered until the next morning. She was in a bed in one of the mansion's guest rooms. The sun shining through the window was what woke her. She turned her head to see Sirius and Ron sleeping in chairs. Sirius was snoring quietly and Ron had the cutest bit of drool coming out of the corner of his mouth. She telekinetically grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and got a picture of him. If nothing else, it would be good blackmail material.

She tried to move, but wasn't surprised when she couldn't move anything beneath her chest. The brace was tight and restrictive, but not quite uncomfortable. She could feel her legs, however, so the surgery had been successful . . . at least to a point. Her young mind tried to think what life would be like if she didn't regain use of her legs. She could fly, so she wouldn't be helpless, but her plans to become a superhero would probably be out the window.

She really didn't want to think about that. Better to keep it light and stay in the moment. Right now, it was morning and she was hungry. She still intended to visit Jean and Scott at the Grey home in Annandale, but that was tomorrow. Today, she just wanted to enjoy life at the mansion, do some shopping at the Salem Center Mall, exchange some gifts with her friends here and get used to life in a brace.

"Morning, Kitten," Sirius said from the chair beside her bed.

"Morning, Padfoot." She turned her head and smiled. "That chair doesn't look very comfortable."

He laughed lightly. "I've slept in worse. I've woken up in the presence of far less pleasant companions to, for that matter, but that's beside the point."

Jamie knew he was running at the mouth in an attempt to keep his - - and more importantly, her - - mind off what had happened last night and what it could mean for the rest of her life. She loved him for it.

"Huh?" Ron blinked several times, slowly waking up.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Jamie announced. "I got the cutest picture of you sleeping and drooling just a bit. The girls back at Hogwarts will love it."

"You wouldn't." He was fully awake now.

She smiled an evil little grin to tell him she most definitely would.

A few minutes of grousing and pleading later, Ron stumbled off to the bathroom, mumbling about the craziness of girls. Sirius removed the covers over Jamie and she got her first look at the brace. It covered her body from her neck and shoulders to her feet, leaving only her head and arms exposed. She could feel some kind of gel between her skin and the brace. It actually felt comforting rather than gross.

"Okay," Padfoot told her, repeating the instructions Forge gave him. "Use your flight to lift yourself off the bed slowly, then float towards me and go vertical."

She nodded and complied. "Now what?"

"Feel along your right hip. You should find a button there."

She complied. "Found it."

She pushed the button and the brace slowly repositioned itself into a sitting position.

"Make sure you let the brace do all the work when changing position. Don't try to help it along."

"Got it." She pushed the button again and returned to full vertical. "Just the two positions, I'm guessing."

"Correct." He nodded. "Anything more would be more of a potential risk than an aid. Now let's get you some clothes. You should be able to do this on your own telekinetically, but I'll help you today. You want to wear a skirt or pants?"

She considered that. A skirt would be easier to put on, but pants would cover more. "How about the new jeans I bought in Manhattan Monday?"

He got the jeans and held them up to her. "I don't think they'll fit over the brace. Looks like you'll need to buy stretch pants or jeans a size larger or just wear skirts for the next few months."

"Well." She smiled. "At least that gives me something to shop for at the mall later today. I have a pair of blue sweat pants in my bag. They should do for now . . . and my Captain America tee-shirt. The Sketchers I brought from Hogwarts had a little extra toe room, so they should fit over my feet even with the brace."

As he dressed her and combed her hair, he told her about the second function of the brace. "There's a button on your left hip. Press it."

She did and saw her image change in the mirror before her. She looked like she did when she forced herself into a human appearance.

"An image inducer?" She was surprised. "Cool, but won't my magic futz with it?"

He laughed. "Tony's not the only one who can design magically hardened technology, Kitten. Remember, in addition to his mutant powers, Forge is a Navajo shaman. It isn't the full model. It just has the one image and only covers the visible parts of you; hiding the brace. It should do the job, though."

When Ron came out of the bathroom, Sirius took Jamie in. He washed her arms, hands and face for her. She let him do it . . . this time.

"The brace has enchantments on it that will any part of you it covers clean and even deal with . . . your wastes. You'll still need to take care of your arms, face and hair, however. I don't think your roommates will mind washing and combing your hair for you too much."

She pulled his head down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Padfoot."

He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "My pleasure, Kitten. You and Ron head down to breakfast now. I'll get myself cleaned up and presentable. Hank wants to run a few tests on you to make sure everything went right, but that should wait until after you eat and shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

With Ron by her side, Jamie maneuvered her chair out of the room and down the hall to the central elevator. After breakfast and a quick stop in the infirmary, Jamie had a clean bill of health and was ready to head into Salem Center with Rogue, Ororo and Kitty. Remy, Peter and Ron came along for pack mule duty.

The Salem Center Mall wasn't particularly big as such things went, but it wasn't exactly small either. What it was, was extremely new and modern. It was a recently rebuilt complex, the old one having been destroyed a few years earlier in a Sentinel attack on some of the younger Xavier's students. It had three levels, four major chain stores, about fifty smaller shops, a sixteen screen cinema and a large food court.

The van they took was designed to carry the Professor and had handicap license plates. Given that Jamie fit the bill, they didn't feel guilty taking advantage of the parking opportunities it gave them. Unfortunately, it put them within earshot of a group of protestors circulating some petition. Their signs read things like "Humanity First!" and "Stop the Mutant Occupation!"

Ororo was driving and was about to take them to another entrance, but Jamie stopped her. "Don't let them make you move. They aren't worth it."

Ororo looked at the child, then smiled and nodded. They piled out and made their way past the group to the entrance.

"Hey, you want to sign our petition." One of the leaders of the protest practically demanded.

"Why would we?" Ororo frowned as if she just found something particularly disgusting sticking to the bottom of her shoe.

"You want those mutie freaks going to school with your kids?" He was practically shoving the petition into her.

"You might wanna take a step back, homme." Gambit interceded. "De lady, she don' like t' be crowded."

"Now," Rogue added, "If ya'll will excuse us. We ain't interested in y'r petition an' just wanna go inside."

"Yeah," Kitty joined in. "You're blocking the entrance."

"It's a free country," the man insisted belligerently. "Our mutie lovin' government hasn't taken that from us yet."

Jamie had enough. "Yeah. You have the right to be idiots, but you don't have the right to block us from exercising our God given right to go shopping. Mutants and other heroes have saved the world more times than you can count . . . which isn't saying much unless you take your shoes off."

"Mutie lovers!" Someone yelled as the man stammered several seconds trying futilely to find a comeback.

With Peter in the lead, parting the crowd, and Remy and Ron on either side with the girls in the middle, they moved towards the doors. Suddenly, something came flying at them from the side. Gambit saw it, reacted quickly and plucked it gently out of the air, confirming it was an egg before returning it in like manner to the thrower. Jamie realized he couldn't resist charging the poultry projectile just a bit, because it exploded on impact, spraying both the original thrower and several people around her with bits of shell, yolk and albumen.

Once through the doors, Jamie turned her chair around and turned to Ron with one word. "Firecrackers."

Ron smiled back a little cruelly. It was a spell the Marauders were learning to cast silently and without wands. Seconds later, a series of small explosions went off amidst the crowd. They were loud and flashy but carried no force or substance. It seemed someone set off a string of firecrackers off in the middle of the group, but there would be no trace left.

As they left the scene behind them, the local police, finally having enough of the shenanigans, was starting to break the protestors up. Jamie was feeling rather proud of herself and her friends. It was going to be a lovely day.

That evening, Jamie exchanged gifts with the X-Men. The Professor got some books she figured would interest him, but he wouldn't buy for himself. Kitty got concert tickets and Peter got art supplies. She gave Logan a box of cigars Storm helped her purchase and gave Kurt a Pirates of the Caribbean poster that Tony got all four of the main actors to personally autograph. Ororo got a set of CDs with African Tribal music. To Forge, she gave an autographed copy of Professor Dumbledore's book on uses for dragon's blood. She'd gone to some effort to find special gifts for each member of the team. Of course, she got a lot of gifts herself; assorted clothes, CDs, DVDs, books, stuffed animals and other items; all of which she loved.

At the end of the evening, there was one last surprise; this time for Ron. Ororo handed Xavier the box to give and Ron could barely believe his eyes when he saw it.

"You had a tour of the Danger Room yesterday," the Professor told him. "Kitty and Peter were both rather impressed with your performance. This training uniform makes you an honorary X-Man. Any friend of Jamie's would always be welcome here, but now you will be doubly welcome."

"I don't know what to say, Professor." Ron was gob smacked.

"I believe that thank you is the proper response and will more than suffice." Xavier smiled.

"Thank you, sir" Ron stammered. "Thank you all so very much."

He got hugs from several of the females in the group, which made him blush heavily.

The next morning, after taking an important phone call, Sirius reluctantly returned to Manhattan while Ororo drove Ron and Jamie to the Grey home in Annandale-on-Hudson. He didn't want to lie to his goddaughter, but he didn't want her to worry either. He finally decided to take a middle road.

"Nick Fury called. SHIELD wants me to consult on something time sensitive. Apparently, Dr. Strange is out of town. I'll have a car pick you up Sunday and bring you back to the tower."

Jean's parents lived in a large upper middle class home in a fairly affluent neighborhood. It was nowhere near as grand as the Xavier mansion, of course. Still, it must have been a pretty nice place to grow up.

As soon as they pulled up in front of the house and the door to the van opened allowing Ron to roll Jamie out, Jean came running out as Scott waited on the porch. Jean quickly hugged Jamie's neck and immediately took over control of the chair, only turning long enough to quickly but affectionately hug Ororo and say hello to Ron before pushing Jamie up the walk.

With an obliging smile, Scott came out to the street to help Ron with the bags. "You must be Jamie's friend, Ron Weasley. I'm Scott Summers. Nice to meet you."

He turned to Storm. "You coming in, Ororo? I know Jean would love to spend some time with you before you head back to the mansion."

Storm smiled. "Only for a few minutes, Scott. I need to get back before lunch and still need to stop in Salem Center to pick up Kitty's Chanukah gift. I would have done it yesterday, but Kitty was with us. I couldn't very easily hide an electric guitar and speaker among the other gifts."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "She knows how to play the guitar?"

"No," Ororo told him, "but Logan's promised to teach her."

Scott blinked several times. "I didn't know he played."

Ororo laughed. "When it comes to our friend, Logan, I believe there are more things we don't know than those we do. Apparently, he prefers Country music, but has a picture of him on stage at Woodstock, backing up Jimi Hendrix."

Inside, Jean was practically hovering over Jamie, but was a gracious hostess to all her guests. Storm understood. She and Jean could spend time together any time they wished. Jean only had a couple of days to spend with her cousin.

"Are you okay?" Jean finally asked as she and Jamie had some time alone after Ororo left and Scott took Ron out on a ride on his motorcycle. "We were all so worried on Halloween. How did the surgery go?"

Jamie sighed accommodatingly. "The surgery went well. Hank says they got all the bone spurs that were pressing against my spinal chord. Anyway, I should be able to get out of the brace by Easter and should be walking by summer."

"What were you thinking?" Jean demanded.

Jamie laughed. "Wanda and Sirius have already had that out with me, Jean. So has just about every professor at Hogwarts. I was dumb. I wanted to be the hero no matter what it cost me. I knew it was going to hurt. I never dreamed how much."

Jean still wasn't satisfied. "You're lucky to be alive. No more super-heroics for you, young lady. Leave that to the professionals like the Avengers and X-Men."

Jamie frowned. "Wanda says I have to wait four whole years before they'll even let me start training. That's like a lifetime."

"Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, kiddo." Jean laughed.

"Voldemort's not dead, Jean." Jamie said finally. "His Deatheaters sure aren't. I'm the one who can stop him. I have to stop him. I don't know if he's gonna let me grow up first. I gotta be ready. That's why I re-formed the Marauders. We may just be kids, but I don't see anyone else getting ready to fight him. The Ministry won't even admit he may not be dead."

Jean put a hand on Jamie's shoulder. "You aren't alone, kiddo. You have just about every person who was ever an X-Man or Avenger, not to mention the Fantastic Four. We all got your back and that doesn't even include the American magical community. Just about all of us can reach Britain in an hour; several a lot faster than that. That wizard pokes his head out and we'll pop him like the zit he is."

Jamie had to giggle at that image. "I'll hold you guys to that, but my friends and I are still gonna keep training."

Jean considered that. "You getting one of those hunches?"

Jamie shook her head. "My gut doesn't work like that, Jean. I'm not even sure it's a power. My intuition is just a bit better than normal. I've made some jumps in logic that should have been impossible. That's all. I'm not prescient. I do know there's a prophecy out there about me and Voldemort. When it comes down to it, I get the feeling I'm gonna need all the help I can get. Even then, I think it's going to wind up being me against him."

Jean disagreed. "Not if I have anything to say about it, Jamie. Since we took Quirrell down, some of the most powerful wizards in this world have joined forces to search for Voldemort. It's only a matter of time. The second he casts even one of his signature spells, the wrath of God is going to fall down around his shoulders."

She paused. "Ten years ago, there weren't nearly as many heroes in the world and nobody realized how much of a threat he was; not just to the magical community, but to the whole world. We know now. More importantly, SHIELD knows. Director Fury believes the Deatheaters pose a threat as big if not bigger than HYDRA or AIM, so does WHO. He has agents watching and investigating all known and suspected members."

"Who?" Jamie blinked, a little confused.

"WHO," Jean told her. "The W . . . H . . . O. And I don't mean World Health Organization. It's a little known branch of British Intelligence. Stands for Weird Happenings Organization. So typically British . . . understated to the point of absurdity. They're Britain's answer to SHIELD and they're supposedly run by an old friend of Captain America's from World War II."

Jamie was surprised. "All that just because of what happened last month?"

"Not exactly." Jean sighed. "What happened on Halloween just got the ball rolling. It alerted the authorities to some things no one was paying attention to, but it's nothing for you to worry about and definitely not anything I should be telling you about. You want to know more, you better ask Sirius . . . or Wanda . . . or even Nick, himself. I'll just say that no one is buying your Ministry's official line that the attack . . . on the tenth anniversary of Voldemort's attack on your parents was just a coincidence."

Jamie nodded. "They sure aren't my ministry. Did you hear what they tried to do just after all you left? They held a custody hearing. They knew Sirius couldn't come and thought Wanda had returned to the US with the rest of you. They didn't even tell anyone else. Tried to keep it under everyone's radar until it was a done deal."

Jean looked at her cousin with shock and more than a little anger. "How dare they! Please tell me Wanda or Ms. Harkness at least turned someone into a toad."

Jamie giggled at the image of her godmother turning Cornelius Fudge into a toad. "Not quite, but it was close. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Professor Dumbledore and Aunt Agatha accompanied Aunt Wanda and me. We even brought Mr. Hagrid with us. He carried me and held me the whole time."

She paused. "They didn't even want me to be there."

Jean smiled proudly at Jamie. "I bet you had something to say about that."

"A couple of things, actually." Jamie laughed. "I told that idiot Minister . . . his name is Fudge, can you believe that; Cornelius Fudge; can you think of a sillier name? Anyway, I, rather we, told him the Ministry had no say in my custody. Since I'm legally Aunt Wanda's ward and she's a legalized citizen of the US and that makes me a US citizen too until I turn eighteen and decide what I want to do."

She paused, getting angrier. "They even had the nerve to say that letting me hang around with the Avengers and X-Men was exposing me to danger and that Aunt Agatha and Dr. Strange were seditious . . . . If that means what they seemed to think it does, they're lucky I didn't give them each an atomic wedgie to end all atomic wedgies. I'd show him what seditious really was."

Jean had to giggle at the image in spite of herself.

Jamie finished the story. "Anyway, we put them in their place and I dared them to try to stop me from coming home. Like they ever stood a chance of controlling someone with my abilities. They didn't even show up, of course; particularly not after we told them who would be picking me up. Don't think even they were dumb enough to mess with Thor and the Hulk. I told Fudge that if he ever tried anything like this again I'd destroy his political career . . . I could, too."

Jean raised an eyebrow. She wasn't going to question Jamie's abilities, but that seemed a little farfetched.

Jamie grinned and explained. "You remember that old Dr. Who episode . . . . I think it was the second half of the two parter where David Tennant took over for Christopher Eccleston . . . . Anyway, the British Prime Minister killed a bunch of aliens who were retreating after the Doctor beat their leader in a sword fight. He told her he could end her career with six words, then did just that."

Jean remembered watching the episode with Scott who was a closet Whovian. "Don't you think she looks tired?"

"That's it." Jamie laughed viciously. "I could do it, too. It might take a bit more work than just a few words, but I could ruin his career and I may still. I may just be a kid to the Ministry, but to the magical community, I'm 'the girl that lived'; a legend they tell stories about. I've grown up watching people like the Professor, Uncle Tony and Cap; people who know how to influence people. The right words in the right ears by the right people and Minister Fudge would be writing his memoirs. He tries anything else like he did after Halloween and I'll do it, too. I'll even enjoy it."

Jean shuddered just a bit. As much as she loved her little cousin and as innocent as Jamie seemed most times. This was a precocious young woman who watched and listened to everything. Even at eleven, most adults would be well advised to avoid crossing this kid. When she got older, she promised to be a major player in the hero and magical communities, both. No, sadly, the very last thing Jamie Wanda Potter was, was innocent and that was as wonderful as it was tragic.


	9. 09: Jamie's Super Christmas

**Third Edition Writer's Notes: In this chapter, I had to consider what role MACUSA would play in the conference in the wake of the Mole Men / Lava Men attack and what reaction they would have to the impending invasion of Britain by Logan and Wanda. Given the political environment, they would have to be involved on some level.**

 **Chapter Nine: "Jamie's Super Christmas"**

By the time Jamie and Ron returned to Manhattan on Sunday, a full week of their break was over, but despite everything, they were both enjoying the holiday so much that they hardly noticed. Things were barely getting started, however, because they stepped off the elevator to find that the Avengers were back. Most of them greeted her with hugs and Christmas greetings. Tony, however, hugged her and critically examined her brace.

"Okay, I'm impressed." He nodded almost reluctantly. "It's an excellent design, but I think I can make some improvements. Drop by my lab later and we'll see what we can do."

Jamie agreed to let him have a look, but she wasn't about to be the rope in a tug-of-war between geeks; especially not Tony and Forge.

Sensing her concern, Sirius quickly stepped in. "Look all she wants to let you, Tony, but any changes go through Wanda or me before you even think of doing them; no exceptions. That design is as much magical as technological. It's a delicate balance and nothing to play around with. You're the last word in technology, my friend, but you know next to nothing about magic."

Tony smiled cockily. "What's to know? You wiggle your fingers or wave your wand and utter some words, then reality reorganizes itself around you. Magic is easy. Engineering takes work. Still, I'll be careful. It's the kitten after all. No way I'm gonna do anything to hurt her. Not only would Wanda turn me into a toad and Natasha beat me to a pulp, Pepper would never speak to me again. No way am I inviting any of that."

"Smart man." Pepper smiled pleasantly.

And that was how it went around the Avengers. As insane as things were when dealing with gods, mutants, super soldiers, playboy geniuses and super spies, they were also surprisingly normal in so many aspects. Tony didn't mess with the brace, but he did order a fifteen thousand dollar track chair, paid a few thousand more for next day delivery and then proceeded to take it apart. By the time he was finished, he'd turned the thing into an honest to goodness anti-gravity hover chair; one that was shielded and designed to work even in the magical environment of Hogwarts, of all things.

Jamie was impressed. Ron was flabbergasted. For everyone else, it was Tuesday. Jamie gave Tony a big kiss on the cheek and thanked him, oohing and aahing over the chair appropriately. It really was a piece of excellent work. It would make her life back at Hogwarts a lot easier.

Ron's second fitting went off well enough and with a minimum of complaining. The rest of the week was spent sightseeing with Ron taking enough pictures with his dad's old magic camera to fill several albums. They visited the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Towers and the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park and the New York equivalent of Diagon Alley. They even got to hit an indoor ice rink with the Richards and Power kids. Jamie wasn't able to skate, of course, but she had a lot of fun anyway, watching the others stumble around the rink. Only Julie Power was actually any good, but they all gave it their best shots.

Dr. Richards, of course, was absolutely fascinated by Jamie's brace. He asked her to put it through its functions while he scanned it with various pieces of equipment, then promptly forgot she was there and lost himself in studying the results. Fortunately, Mrs. Richards was on hand to save her. The kids even played poker with Ben . . . for candy, of course, with Johnny helping Katie and Mrs. Richards helping Valeria. No one kept track, of course. They all wound up eating most of their winnings.

Jamie brought a supply of magical candies to share with her American friends and they went over fantastically. Even the adults liked them. Reed found the Bertie Bott's Any Flavored Beans particularly fascinating even though he got an ear wax flavored one.

Then, Jamie woke up on Christmas morning. She absolutely loved Christmas. Not just because she got a lot of really great gifts, which she did. What she loved most was giving gifts to all the people she loved. She had gifts for her friends back home, of course; a rare book for Hermione, a mixed box of muggle prank gifts for the twins, a lump of coal for Draco, and so on. For the Avengers, however, she had to work rather hard. For Natasha, she got tickets to a Bolshoi ballet performance coming to Rockefeller Center in a few months. For Clint and Bobbi, she got a baby alarm and a magical camera to take living pictures of the little one who was due at any minute. For Steve, she got computer lessons. Thor got several bottles of mead from one of the best shops in Britain's magical community, which he promptly declared to be the ambrosia of the gods.

Everyone got something. Her best and most personal gift, however, was saved for last and she gave it to Sirius. It was something she had wanted to give him for a long time, but hadn't been able to get while living in America. "This is for you, Padfoot."

She handed him the carefully wrapped package. "I know you had to leave London without being able to gather any personal items and I know this can never make up for all you lost, but I want you to have it."

In the box, he found seven photo albums filled with pictures from each of the Marauders' seven years at Hogwarts. She went to a lot of effort to contact as many of their fellow classmates as she could find and ask them for any pictures they had of them. The response surprised her. Then again, she was the girl who lived and they probably thought the pictures were for her own collection. Copies of a lot of them did go into her growing photo collection, but this was her real purpose.

Sirius opened the first book and stared in wonder. Each picture brought back a flood of memories. A tear in his eye, he set the box aside and gave Jamie a huge hug.

"Thank you, kitten." His voice cracked, so he tried to clear it. "I don't know what to say. This is . . . ."

She hugged him back, but said nothing as they sat there for several moments.

"You nailed it, kid," Clint said as Sirius let go of Jamie and magically produced a handkerchief to wipe his eyes and blow his nose.

"Excellent choice, Jamie." Steve patted Jamie's shoulder.

Of course, receiving gifts was also fun and both Jamie and Ron received several. Clint gave them each a customized and personalized bow and a supply of arrows; along with the promise of a week's worth of lessons for Ron. Natasha gave Jamie a version of her widow stings and belt; complete with non-lethal versions of her toys. Steve gave her some SHIELD designed star spangled throwing discs that would work particularly well with her telekinesis. All three of them said that if she was determined to become a hero, she might as well be equipped for the job. Wanda and Padfoot weren't happy, but Jamie promised she'd learned her lesson and wouldn't try to play hero again until she was ready.

Having been paid by both Reed Richards and Tony Stark to let them scan him while he cast spells, Ron was able to get gifts for his family and his new friends, but the gift Jamie gave him was more than he could have ever dreamed. She handed him a thick legal sized envelope with a big red bow on it.

"Don't worry about opening it now," Sirius told the boy. "It's just a copy of papers that were delivered to your parents this morning at your brother's place in Bulgaria. It authorizes Gringott's to transfer certain funds from the Potter and Black accounts to the Weasley vault. Your parents were longtime friends of the Potter family and some of the only friends to stick by me after they were murdered. James and Lily set up a provision in their will for the group we were all members of when we were fighting Voldemort. Some of those funds are being released to them and I matched them. It's not a large amount given the size of our respective estates, just a few hundred galleons, but it should help your family."

"Before you say anything," Jamie interrupted when Ron true to his breeding was about to object. "Don't you dare say it's too much. If anything, it's not nearly enough for the friendship your family showed. My parents and Sirius were drawn into the fight from the day they entered Hogwarts. Your parents didn't haveta be. They were purebloods, but not one of the powerful families. They coulda lived out their lives and not even been touched by the war. Padfoot told me the risks they took. Just take the money and shut up. It's next to nothing to us and something big to you."

"Just like they considered their service during the war," Sirius added. "Nothing to them, but important for others."

Ron blinked several times. "I don't know what to say."

Jamie slugged him playfully on the shoulder, then hugged him. "Then just shut up and let's get back to the party."

That evening, Sif and the Warriors Three arrived from Asgard and Voltstagg officially challenged Bruce to a rematch with his other half.

"I bought a restaurant for the occasion," Tony announced. "They can normally serve a hundred people a night and I had them double their normal staff and close the doors for the occasion. I'm thinking of airing it on pay-per-view later."

"Absolutely not." Pepper stared him down.

He looked crestfallen for all of a second before steering them all to the restaurant where several turkeys had been set up and more were already being prepared for the contest. As predicted, it wasn't even a contest. Voltstagg put down a prodigious amount of food, but Hulk ate his turkeys bones and all. By the time Voltstagg finished his second twenty five pound bird, Hulk was on his fifth and gaining speed.

Ron was in shock. He'd been told about this, but seeing it was a whole different matter. The kids back at Hogwarts would never believe it. His family would never believe it. Heck, he wasn't even sure he believed it and he was there. The most incredible thing for him, however, was when Jamie introduced him to the jade giant and he received a surprisingly gentle pat on the back from him

"Hulk like pretty kitty's friend." The massive turkey grease smeared creature smiled at him.

Late that night as they were about to go to bed, Ron knocked on Jamie's door. "Come in, Ron."

"I'd ask how ya knew it was me, but I figure I already know."

"Whattcha want?" She smiled at some inside joke.

"I wanted to thank ya for all this," he told her. "I mean . . . ."

She waved him off. "You already thanked me, Ron. I already told you the money isn't even from me. You're welcome, though. As for the rest of it, you and Hermione are my best friends. I'm just glad one of you was able to come spend Christmas with me. It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without having you to torment."

"There is that." He gave her a crooked smile. "I'll never forget this, Jamie. If ya ever need me, I'm there. When ya face down Voldemort, I'll be by your side."

She laughed, but her eyes showed her gratitude at the gesture. "Don't be making promises. If we're lucky neither of us will haveta fight him. Just don't get mad if next time I bring Hermione instead of you."

He laughed. "I won't. I'll be jealous, but I won't get mad."

The week between Christmas and New Year started with a big super villain fight the day after Christmas. Jamie, Ron and several of the ladies were at Ron's final fitting for his tux and planning to have lunch at a very nice restaurant afterwards when moloids attacked Manhattan. Fortunately, Wanda, Natasha, Wasp and Captain Marvel were with them in addition to Pepper and Jane Foster, who stayed with Jamie and Ron while the others taught the moloids the folly of their ways. Dr. Banner, Thor, Steve, Clint and Tony were all getting fitted as well, making it a real party. The moloids were about to learn why it was a bad idea to attack Manhattan.

Nine Avengers stepped out of the clothiers and engaged the enemy. Widow and Hawkeye focused on the moloids. Hulk and Thor both went after a monstrous troll that accompanied the attack. The Wasp and Captain Marvel went after its twin, and Iron Man and Wanda teamed against the third one. Captain America coordinated their efforts, lent a hand wherever he found an opening and helped organize the evacuation of civilians.

Pepper and Jane kept Ron and Jamie out of the fight, but couldn't prevent them from lending a little magical help from range. Stupefy spells and petrificus totalis spells were easy enough for them, but when Jamie saw a bunch of people being threatened by moloids and no heroes near enough to help them, she let loose her Patronus and let it play whack-a-moloid, which left her far more exhausted than it should have after just a few minutes.

Of course, the Avengers really didn't need her help. Wanda attacked the troll she and Tony were fighting from the ground while Tony hit it from the air. Jamie watched as her godmother turned the ground beneath the monster into quicksand, then just as quickly solidified it into hardened stone once it was in up to its waist. Tony's repulsors weren't very effective against the creature, but his uni-beam blinded and confused it long enough for Wanda to finish her work. Then he knocked it out with an armor enhanced double fist to the chin.

Hulk tackled his troll's knee and knocked it down while Thor hit it with repeated blows of Mjolnir. At one point, the reeling creature grabbed Hulk and tried to jam him into its mouth. That move cost it most of its massive teeth. Thor then called down a lightning bolt and finished it off.

Captain Marvel softened the last troll up with punches and photon blasts. Wasp flew into its ear and stung its ear drum several times, leaving it off kilter. This gave Carol an opening to finish it off with a vicious flying knee to the face. They made a good team.

Widow and Hawkeye made short work of the moloids; particularly once SpiderMan, who happened to be in the neighborhood, showed up to lend a hand.

They were looking for more targets when Steve ran up to them. "You three, head to Hell's Kitchen. Daredevil's dealing with his own incursion and could use some help. The Fantastic Four are dealing with an attack in the financial district and the X-Men are on their way in. The attack in Greenwich already ran into Dr. Strange and is over."

As Spidey took off and Natasha and Clint commandeered motorcycles to follow him, Steve threw his shield and took out a last moloid who had been playing possum and was trying to slink off. Funny, these things usually weren't smart enough to even consider tactics.

Jamie knew she'd overtaxed herself. It was less than two months since she almost died and summoning a Patronus was a major casting. She wasn't so exhausted that she didn't sense the movement behind her. She turned just in time to call out the alarm. A hole was melting in the floor of the shop. Seconds later, lava men were flooding out.

Ron started freezing them, which worked even better on lava men than on wizards or muggles . . . or moloids. Jane pulled out her phone and alerted the team that they were under attack. Pepper reached into her purse and pulled out a gun.

"Tony gave me this as a Christmas present," she announced rather proudly. "Eat repulsors, scum bags!"

Ron and Pepper did their best, but there were just too many of them. Jamie wasn't able to be much help and knew it was only a matter of time before they were overrun. Then she noticed something.

"They're ignoring you," she said moving her chair away from the others and noting the focus change of the lava men. "They're after me. I'm too tired to do much, but I can go intangible. You three get out of here. Get help. They can't touch me. Hurry."

None of them liked the idea, but they went with it; particularly when they saw the first lava man tackle Jamie and pass right through her with a confused look on its face.

The ladies retreated, but Ron stalled until Jamie yelled at him. "Go, Ron. Get help. These things can't hurt me. You aren't so lucky. I'll be fine."

Jamie hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. She was on her last legs and in desperate need of a nap. She didn't even have the energy to teleport or fly and would soon be too spent to stay intangible. She was already getting dizzy and had spots swirling around the periphery of her vision. Fortunately, the chair could fly, so she engaged the gravity field and floated towards the door that was now blocked by lava men.

She redirected the chair through the outer wall and barely made it outside before she had to solidify. She was gasping for air and about to pass out when a large, shaggy dog with thoroughly soaked fur barreled through the lava men like a bowling ball through pins. An instant later, blasts of eldritch energy were coming from two directions and shattering any targets Padfoot missed. Her family was here. Everything would be okay now. She breathed a sigh of relief and let herself pass out.

The fight didn't last much longer, but the clean-up would go into the New Year. When Jamie woke up, she was in the Avengers infirmary and surrounded by serious looking adults. Dr. Hank and Dr. Reyes were there with Professor Xavier. So were Dr. Richards, Dr. Strange, Dr. Pym and Dr. Drumm. Padfoot, Mooney, Tonks and Wanda were in the background behind them. They were all deferring to a woman she didn't recognize, however; a woman dressed in a flowing gown and antique jewelry. She considered the woman for a moment. Some of the markings on the jewelry were Norse, but she still couldn't place her.

"Her magic reserves are badly depleted." Something about the woman's voice made Jamie feel safe regardless what she was saying. "Did no one realize that more than her body was damaged in the incident you told me about?"

"Some of the best doctors in both the muggle and magical societies examined her, your majesty," Jamie heard Padfoot say. "Of course, none of them can match Asgardian medical technology and healing magic."

The woman Jamie now realized had to be Queen Frigga, Thor's mother, nodded. "No matter. It can be fixed. Would someone please bring me a glass or water? Juice or wine would work even better."

Jamie heard Thor's voice. "Mead?"

Frigga turned to her son. "Asgardian?"

"Midgardian," he told her, "but some of the best I've ever tasted. Jamie gave me several bottles as a Yule gift."

Frigga nodded. "That will do quite well, Thor. Thank you."

They handed Frigga a cup and she added several drops of something from a vial she pulled from a bag she had with her then lifted Jamie's head and held the cup to her lips. Jamie took several sips of the draught, feeling a warmth begin to spread through her as she did.

"She'll sleep now. Make sure she drinks the rest of it a bit at a time as she's able. She's also to be forbidden to use any magic or other abilities for at least a week. The nectar I added to the mead was distilled from Idunn's golden apples. It is very powerful and will both heal her essence and recharge her energies. Still, it was a close thing."

That was the last Jamie heard as she fell into a deep sleep punctuated with several very interesting and even psychedelic dreams.

Down in the main meeting room, several minutes later, there was a sort of war council. Jamie's four guardians were in attendance along with most of the active Avengers, Professor Xavier and several X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange and Nick Fury. They were all tired and glad the fight was over for now at least, but also concerned. Cassandra Boot, President of the Congress of Magic was also present by way of a magical hologram. Ron managed to listen in.

"The moloid attack was a distraction," Sirius was extremely angry. "Those lava men were specifically after Jamie. What the hell is going on? She's supposed to be safe here."

"We've done everything in our power to insure that, Mr. Black," the hologram assured him. "There was no hint of such an attack. Even now, my agents investigating the event are stumped as to how it could have been carried out with such secrecy."

"I know you have, Madam President," Sirius admitted. "Even you have your limits."

Captain America nodded. "I'm also concerned about the level of planning, tactics and coordination this attack showed. Mole Man's brilliant, but not much of a tactician. Tyrannus is a master tactician, but he's been in the Vault for over a year. I called and confirmed that he's still there. There's no way he was behind this and no way either of them would know of, much less have reason to target Jamie."

Dr. Strange agreed. "Even more interesting was the intelligence exhibited by each individual creature. I haven't dealt with them a great deal, but I was led to believe that the moloids, at least, were nearly mindless; their only threat being in their massive numbers."

"Correct," Reed confirmed. "Without guidance, moloids and most of the other creatures down below aren't much of a threat. They're barely smart enough to feed themselves and breed. The lava men are smarter and more organized. Some few are even capable of maintaining, if not designing and building advanced technology, but most of them are still more cunning than advanced. Moreover, moloids and lava men are bitter enemies. I've never heard of them working together on anything; least of all an attack on the surface."

Dr. Strange sighed. "I believe a powerful magical artifact called the Stone Skull of Madagascar could be responsible. It's tightly aligned with the powers of the Earth and can control creatures that dwell beneath it; creatures like all of the ones involved in the attack. It has a malevolent intelligence, and has been known to enable it's wielder to increase the intelligence of such creatures while insuring their loyalty."

Fury took over. "Word 'round the magic communities has it that about a dozen powerful magical items, including this stone skull thing, were stolen from various places over the past year or so. Y'r friend, th' Black Panther, actually fought th' thief when it made off with th' White Gorilla's pelt. Strange thinks it's some kinda poltergeist an' Dumbledore agrees with him."

Strange nodded. "Albus believes that a poltergeist that calls itself Cassius is responsible for the thefts. It has a great hatred of and disdain for what the British magical community calls muggles; making it a potential ally for the Deatheaters. I spoke with the local Wakandan attaché and am told that King T'Challa confirms the British nature of the creature; through its accent and use of the term muggle."

"The British magical community is the only one to widely use that term," the President confirmed. "Here in America, we us No Maj to describes non-magical types. Europe and other regions have their own terms."

Wanda had to ask. "Why haven't more artifacts been stolen from America?"

"I have a great many artifacts in my collection," Stephen confirmed, "as does Ms. Harkness. There's also the Museum of Antiquities at the Congress' headquarters in Washington DC and the Vault of Magic in Ilvermorny. Most of the artifacts in the States, however, are fewer than five hundred years old. With few exceptions, most of the artifacts the Deatheaters seem interested in are far older than that. Most of the truly ancient artifacts are on the Eastern Hemisphere and so are the Deatheaters. For that matter, to the best of our knowledge so is Voldemort . . . assuming he's still alive in some form."

"We think th' Halloween attack on Hogwarts was more'n a commemoration of his attack on th' Potters ten years ago," Fury told the heroes gathered, changing the subject to something he could speak on with some authority. "We think it was some kinda test o' th' school's defenses. Assumin' th' same folks 'r behind th' attack t'day could explain why th' lava men went straight f'r Jamie."

"They were feeling out our defenses," Steve agreed. "It makes sense. We have to figure that the Deatheaters have a fairly decent intelligence network. They have to know, given Jamie's importance to all of us, we're likely to get involved if and when they make their next big move."

"Makes sense," Logan noted. "Question is, what're we gonna do 'bout it? We all figured Jamie'd be safe over here. Don't seem so anymore. I don't know 'bout th' rest o' ya'll, but I don't like bein' on th' defensive."

"We need intelligence," Steve responded. "We don't even know who the players on the other side are."

"I think I can help on that," a woman in a conservative gray skirt and blazer stood in the doorway.

Steve got up and walked over to greet her with a hug. "Jackie. Good to see you again."

She hugged him back platonically. "You, too, Steve. Nick and President Boot asked me to come over here and brief you chaps. Care to introduce me?"

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, turning to the room, "I'd like to introduce you to Baroness Jacqueline Falsworth. Back when we served on the Invaders, she was known as Spitfire. Now, she heads the British government's Weird Happenings Organization; basically, their version of SHIELD."

Logan smiled. "Hey, darlin'. Long time. Whattcha got f'r us?"

Jacqueline blinked. "Only one person, other than my late husband, ever had the temerity to call me 'darlin'. That you, James? Of course it's you. You're looking well."

Logan nodded. "So 'r you. An' I go by Logan now . . . or Wolverine. James is somethin' from th' past."

She cleared her throat. "As for what I have for you, there's been no sign of his nibs, of course, but the Deatheaters have been real active over the past year or so. Those who haven't honestly repented appear to be divided into two camps; one led by Lucius Malfoy and one led by someone called the Beastmaster, but believed to be Walden Macnair. The Malfoy group is larger, but the Beastmaster group is better connected. If the belief about Macnair's role is accurate, that would make sense. He's the Ministry's pet executioner."

She paused. "The two camps have very different and frequently conflicting agendas, which has them wasting a lot of energy fighting each other. Lately, they seem to each be trying to impress someone with their cunning and audacity and brutality. We don't have to guess who that someone is."

She placed a medium sized portable drive on the table. "The rest of the information is on this, but that's the basics. We believe the Malfoy group is behind the thefts. The other group is looking for ways to crack Azkaban and free the Deatheaters held there."

Logan smiled evilly. "Ya got addresses on th' two of 'em? Think I'll go pay 'em a visit. If y'r up for it, Wanda, figured I'd invite ya along as back up."

Wanda nodded grimly, but Jacqueline seemed concerned. "Do try not to destroy half of Britain while you're there. It's a small country with pissy weather, but most of us love it."

"Not t' worry, darlin'." Logan promised her. "This'll just be a soft probe; maybe a surgical strike at worst. I don't plan on killin' either of 'em. That'd just mean ya'd haveta go t' all th' trouble o' figurin' out who their replacements were. I'm just gonna impress on 'em th' folly o' messin' with Jamie. I probably won't haveta hurt 'em . . . much."

"I can't say I agree with your methods, Logan," Steve offered, "but I know better than to tell you not to do something you've decided on. Just be careful. Wanda, can I count on you to keep him in line?"

Wanda's answer wasn't very promising. "These people killed two of my best friends and a lot more. Now, they're a threat to my goddaughter. Frankly, Steve, I'm probably the last person you should be counting on for restraint."

"I know I can't stop you," Cassandra Boot told them in a resigned, but far from pleased, tone, "but please be careful. Mr. Logan is one thing, but whether you've ever accepted the authority of the Congress or not, Ms. Maximoff, you do represent the magical community of the US; native citizen or not. Relations between the Congress and the Ministry are strained enough without an American magical icon declaring war on British magical citizens . . . no matter what their affiliation."

Logan grinned viciously. "Not t' worry on that front, darlin'. I'm gonna be th' one doin' th' attackin'. Wanda's just along t' have my back. Odds are they won't even know she was there. Even if they do, she's a known renegade. Shouldn't be a problem."

Twelve hours later, it was in the wee hours of the morning at Malfoy Manor, but something; some foreboding of doom disturbed Lucius Malfoy's sleep. Word reached him earlier in the evening that Macnair had been attacked. Normally, he wouldn't have cared, but there was just something about the attack that he found very disturbing. Someone had broken Macnair's wand in several pieces. That simply wasn't done in wizarding society.

Then there was the fact that Macnair's home had been locked and warded at the time and not even the best the aurors had to offer could figure out how the attacker got in. One had gotten in, however, and had ravaged the man; nearly shredded him. The attack had been violent and bloody even by Greyback's measure. There was a new player on the board and he was making his own rules. That never boded well.

Wide awake, Lucius slipped carefully out of bed so as not to wake his sleeping wife, Narcissa, the put on his robe and padded down to his office. If he couldn't sleep, maybe he could get some work done. The report from America was waiting unread, among several other things.

Entering his office, however, he found a man waiting for him. The person was shortish, stout, hairy and ill-disposed; dressed in garb that somewhat resembled what one would expect to see on some American western movie on the telly. He was sitting in Lucius' chair behind Lucius' desk and had the file Lucius had come down to read in his filthy hands.

Lucius had no idea how the man had gotten in without setting off alarms or alerting his guard beasts, but it didn't matter. His hand went for the wand in the pocket of his robe.

"I wouldn't," the man warned and Lucius stopped in spite of himself. "Y'r friend, Macnair, tried that an' lost his wand. In y'r case, I may not stop at th' wand."

"Who are you?" Lucius tried to sound braver than he felt.

"Doesn't matter." The man shrugged. "I'm just a messenger o' sorts."

"Messages are usually delivered during the day." Lucius frowned.

"Not this one." The man rose slowly to his feet, still standing just under five and a half feet tall.

"What's your message, peasant."

"America's off limits. So are th' Avengers. Most importantly, so is Jamie Potter. Tell y'r Deatheaters an' tell Voldemort. The second he pokes his head outta whatever hole he's been hidin' in, we're comin' f'r him an' there ain't nothin' ya c'n do t' stop us. Try testin' us again, 'r harm Jamie an' we won't settle f'r destroyin' him. We'll take alla ya out."

Lucius tried to bluff. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. The Dark Lord is dead and I only served him under an Imperiatus curse in the first place I'm an upright member of this community and a man of some influence, and I don't take kindly to being threatened."

"Macnair said ya'd deny it," Logan responded, standing casually. "In between pissin' himself an' cryin' f'r his mommy, that is. We know y'r group's th' one behind the thefts o' magic artifacts lately. We know y'r boss was behind th' attack at Hogwarts on Halloween. This file I'm takin' with me confirms ya were behind th' attack in Manhattan yesterday. We know what he's after an' he ain't gonna get it. We even got a pretty good idea why he want's th' artifacts ya been stealin' f'r him."

Logan finished with on last threat. "Ya better realize one thing. We ain't y'r Ministry an' we don't play by their rules. Mess with us an' life in Azkaban'll seem like a holiday in comparison."

"Do not threaten me, muggle scum!" Malfoy made the biggest mistake of his misbegotten life; he pulled his wand.

Logan moved faster than Lucius would have thought possible, popped his claws and calmly destroyed Lucius' wand with the claws of one hand and removed his wand arm just below the shoulder with the claws of the other. "I ain't a muggle. I'm a mutant. There's a difference. Get usedta it."

As Lucius screamed and collapsed, Narcissa Malfoy, who actually woke when her husband got out of bed and was alerted to trouble by the sound of voices, apported in and attempted to attack Logan. Her killing curse missed, however, when he dove out back behind her husband's desk. An instant later, Wanda appeared in the room in all her scarlet glory.

"Conlidamus!" She gestured, not even bothering to use a wand.

Narcissa's shattered wand joined her husband's sectioned one on the floor. Terrified, she knelt and held Lucius, doing what she could to stop his bleeding.

Logan turned to Wanda. "Ya wanna take care o' that. If he's dead, he can't learn an' can't be a lesson t' others."

Wanda cast a spell to cauterize the man's wound. "I know you know who I am. Tell your people. We play for keeps. You threatened my goddaughter. Do it again and, Congress and Ministry be damned, I'll be back."

Logan nodded. "Trust us. Ya don't want us t' haveta come back."

He picked up Lucius' severed arm. "We'll be keepin' this. We know some folks who are pretty good at sympathetic magic. Remember, we'll be watchin'. Tell y'r boss he'd be smart t' just fade away."

"Take your husband to a healer, Narcissa," Wanda said calmly, "before he dies of shock and consider yourselves lucky that all you lost were your wands and his arm. I wouldn't have been as gentle."

Wanda put her hand on Logan's shoulder and apported them both away. Narcissa sat there for a moment in shock and terror, then apported her unconscious husband to St. Mungo's; glad that Draco hadn't been awakened by the battle.


	10. 10: Developments

**Third Edition Writer's Notes: This is the last previously posted chapter needing to be edited in light of the Fantastic Beasts movie. I plan to add a visit to Ilvermorny into Jamie and Ron's third week of vacation.**

 **Chapter Ten: "Developments"**

Wanda and Logan didn't talk about what happened in Britain; at least not in Jamie's presence, but Ron told her what he overheard and showed her an article from the Daily Prophet that the twins sent him. There was a reason Logan was one of her favorite X-Men, along with her cousin, Jean, and Ororo. The man knew how to send a message.

A couple of days after the pair returned, Jamie found Logan in the Tower's kitchen and floated her chair up to him, moving herself into a vertical position, reached over and hugged him.

"What was that for?" He knew what it was for.

"You know."

He nodded. "Y'r welcome."

He paused. "How'd ya figure it out?"

She laughed. "Ron was listening in on the meeting you guys had while I was out and his brothers sent him an article from the Daily Prophet, the official newspaper of Britain's magical community. It was all about these anonymous same night attacks on the Macnair and Malfoy estates; and how both Walden Macnair and Lucius Malfoy were put in the St. Mungo's."

Logan laughed. "Guess they didn't wanna admit they got beat up by a muggle; much less a mutant."

She looked at him seriously. "Please be careful, Logan. You're the best there is at what you do, but fighting trained wizards isn't normally in your job description."

He nodded smugly. "Y'r godmother had my back. Came in handy, too. Malfoy's wife came in while I was wrappin' up an' almost caught me flat footed. I dodged her first attack, but takin' her out woulda been close if Wanda hadn't been there. Ain't sayin' I couldn't've done it, just it woulda been close . . . an' a lot messier 'n necessary. As it was, they got off easy. Th' three of 'em just lost their wands an' Malfoy lost his arm. I warned him that he'd regret it if he tried anything."

She hugged him again. "Unfortunately, magic can reattach the arm if they get it fast enough."

Logan's smile turned vicious. "Figured as much. That's why I took it with me. Got it on ice in case he decides t' cause trouble f'r us again. I may not be a wizard, but I've seen what sympathetic magic c'n do an' I know some folks who do that sort of stuff an' owe me favors."

Jamie's smile almost matched Logan's. "You're an evil person, Logan, and I love you for it."

He sobered. "Ain't lettin' nobody mess with you, kitten. They try, they get t' deal with me."

A little later, Jamie found and thanked Wanda, then found Ron to tell him what happened. He was appropriately impressed.

"Wicked. I'd've given my right arm t've been there t' see that."

Jamie laughed. "Draco's father did. Logan cut off his wand arm and took it with him. He told me he has it on ice in case Malfoy decides to cause trouble again. Apparently, he knows some houngans that owe him favors. Knowing him, maybe even a few bocors."

"That's nasty stuff." Ron scrunched up his face. "I almost feel sorry for Draco's family . . . least I would if they weren't all a bunch of stuck-up, pureblood prats."

"Anyway," she changed the subject. "No casting or even using powers for me for at least the rest of the week. That's going to be so boring. Steve's offered to take us out for a tour of MOMA. He said they had some kind of hands on thing going for kids. It could be fun, or at least distracting."

Ron shrugged. "I'm game."

Steve got them a couple of hotdogs for lunch from a street vendor he knew. Then they spent the afternoon at the museum. It was a lot more fun than Jamie expected it would be. Steve knew all kinds of things about art and artists. He confided in them that before the war, he wanted to become an artist himself.

The hands on event was crowded, but still a lot of fun. Jamie and Ron each made a piece of spin art the museum put in a cardboard frame for them. Jamie wasn't too happy with the way hers came out, but thought Ron's showed promise.

"Well," she laughed, looking critically at her small painting, "there goes my plan to become the world's next van Gogh. Yours looks pretty good, though, Ron. A lot better than mine."

"I don't know," Steve responded. "I think they're both pretty nice. Ron, yours does show an instinctive understanding of color, though. Besides, who wants to be the next van Gogh? One of him was enough. He created some beautiful paintings, but died a pauper and committed suicide. Not exactly someone you want to emulate."

Ron shrugged. "Guess I'll give it to my mum. She likes stuff like this."

Steve smiled. "I know Wanda and Sirius will probably get into a fight over who gets yours, Jamie."

She looked up at him shyly. "I was thinking I'd give it to you. If you want it, I mean. I know it's not much, but I want to give you something to say thank you for taking us out today."

He knelt down and hugged her. "I'd be honored to have it. Thank you, Jamie. I'll put it up in my room and think of you every time I look at it."

Jamie was pretty mature for her age, but she wasn't above wanting the praise and encouragement of adults she respected. Steve's response meant more to her than she would ever admit. Her ego and self-image had been flagging a bit since Halloween, but this small gesture went a long way to helping her recover.

After leaving the museum, Steve took the pair out to dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant of his; a little place that had been around since before WWII and was now run by the great grandson of the original owner. It was a wonderful, family kind of place with large portions of good basic food and reasonable prices. They knew Steve by name.

The next day, Tony and Pepper took them on a tour of a nearby Stark Industries facility. That's to say that Pepper did, since Tony got distracted by one of the projects about fifteen minutes in and spent the rest of the day on that. They were rather impressed with the outcome, however; a working, man-portable tactical laser.

After that, they visited the actual home where she, Sirius, Remus and Tonks all lived most of the time. It was a big, bright, warm, airy place on Long Island with only the slightest hint of pretentiousness.

Jamie showed Ron her room and her playroom, which doubled as a classroom. She even took him out into the large yard and let him climb up to take a look at her treehouse. She couldn't go up herself, but he was fairly impressed with it.

"It's a lot better than the one the twins made when we were younger."

Jamie shrugged and laughed fondly. "Padfoot and Moonie made it for me. At least that was the plan, by the time it was finished they had half the heroes in New York either advising or helping. Uncle Tony did the wiring to make sure they were magically hardened."

"Wiring?" Ron blinked.

Jamie shook her head. "I used to have a big screen TV, a video gaming set up that would make most American kids green with envy, a computer; even a stereo in there. When I left for Hogwarts, I told Padfoot he should move the electronics into the house. I used to go up there all the time, but now . . . since going to Hogwarts and everything that's happened, I think I've kind of outgrown it. I'll still go up there when I'm home and want to be alone to think, but I don't think I'll need all the electronics when I do. It kind of sucks, really. I did so love this old treehouse."

"Wow." Ron tried to imagine the kind of treehouse Tony Stark would help design.

"Mr. Logan knows a whole lot about construction; just about everything practical, actually," she continued, brightening. "Cap learned some basics in the Army. So did Mr. Grimm, but he mostly sat back with a beer and 'supervised'. A lot of people chipped in and Aunt Wanda helped me decorate it."

"These people really love you, Jamie," Ron said with a tone of awe.

"Yeah," Jamie agreed a little wistfully. "They really do. I don't know what I'd do without any of them. They made my childhood something special."

She suddenly laughed. "I remember when Thor decided to chip in and tried to drive a nail with Mjolnir. We were still finding tiny pieces of wood as of last summer. He used a regular hammer after that, but was still driving nails with a single blow. He had to be careful not to split the wood. He's so sweet."

She sighed. "Wanda once told me why she thinks they all adopted me so easily. She said that, despite the brood Clint and Bobbi are raising, with their lifestyles, there's not a lotta chance most of them will ever have children of their own. I love them all so much. I want to make them proud of me."

Ron smiled. "They are. A blind man could see it. You're living in a fairy tale most kids would envy."

"It's great," Jamie admitted, "but it's not all grape sodas and lollipops. Try getting away with any mischief with most of the top superheroes in New York watching over you. If Uncle Clint was watching me, I could get away with just about anything, as long as Aunt Bobbi wasn't watching him. Him I could wrap around my little finger, but Aunt Natasha? Try to get away with lying to her, I dare you."

He shook his head. "I'll pass."

She paused. "I know it probably sounds whiny with everything I have, but as much as I love them, I'd trade them all to have my real parents back."

Ron blushed slightly at the raw honesty, then stammered. "Doesn't sound whiny at all."

He shrugged. "My folks drive me nuts sometimes, but I don't know what I'd do without 'em. I can't even imagine what it'd be like. Don't really wanna."

Jamie looked at him funny. "When did you start picking up a New York accent?"

He blinked. "I have? Wicked."

She hugged him and laughed. "And just that fast, it's gone."

On the morning of December 30th, Sirius took Jamie and Ron to visit Ilvermorny. There, they were greeted by the headmaster, a scholarly looking man with the highly impressive name of Smith. The man wore loose robes over slacks and a turtleneck. He looked nothing like Dumbledore; more like a bookkeeper, but neither of the kids were fooled. Sirius treated him with respect and even deference. That carried a lot of weight with both of them.

"Your godfather has asked me to give you and your friend a tour of the castle," he told Jamie in an unassuming voice that still had the timbre that suggested it could be extremely motivating or even intimidating if the situation called for it.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Jamie said respectfully, "and thank you for your invitation to attend here. It was a close call, but both my parents and godparents attended Hogwarts. It's kind of a tradition in the Potter family."

"We would still be honored to have you, Miss Potter." The man smiled. "Your headmaster contacted me. He was concerned about your problems with those fools in the Ministry and wanted to make arrangements for your future education should they be needed. If matters become untenable in Britain, rest assured that your credits earned there will transfer fully should you decide to make a change."

"That's nice to hear, sir." She responded.

Jamie was as surprised at the offer as she was that Dumbledore had broached the subject with Ilvermorny. At the same time, she wasn't all that surprised by the latter at all. One thing Dumbledore was known for above all else was looking out for the best interests of his students. Of course, he sometimes had strange ways of showing it.

Smith took them past the statues of its founders and into the round entry chamber with its balcony, grand cupola ceiling and carvings of the four creatures that represented the four houses of Ilvermorny and Jamie accidentally stepped on the Gordian knot symbol in the center of the chamber that they were all in for a surprise; none more so than Jamie.

All four carvings reacted instantly. The crystal in the forehead of the horned serpent ignited, glowing brightly. The wampus roared. The thunderbird beat its powerful wings. The pukwudgie raised its arrow into the air.

"Now," Smith told them with some awe, "that has never happened except during our annual sorting ceremony and the last time all four reacted to any student was more than a century ago for Seraphina Picquery, who went on the lead MACUSA for more than eight years back in the 1920s. They must sense something very special about you indeed Miss Potter."

"Wow," was all Jamie was able to say as she stepped off the symbol and the carvings went silent again.

Ilvermorny was in a lot of ways quite similar to Hogwarts, but in even more ways very different. They toured the main hall, several classrooms, one of the dorms, the aerie and astrology tower, even the Vault of Magic; where they were allowed to look at, but not touch, a great many magical artifacts. Then, when the visit came to an end, Smith presented both Jamie and Ron with one of the Gordian knot clasps each of the students at Ilvermorny wore.

As they were about to leave, however, Jamie received one more unexpected gift, when a wizened old pukwudgie who Smith greeted as William walked up with an unpleasant scowl and presented her with a quiver of a dozen arrows. "You don't look like much, girl, but the portents say you might need these. Be careful with them. We normally only give them to the members of our house. They're tipped with magical poison. You won't be getting replacements."

By the afternoon of December 31st, everyone had pretty much returned to the Tower. The Stark gala was scheduled to start at about seven pm and last possibly until dawn and beyond. Jamie was amazed at how used she'd become to doing things with magic or powers. It only became obvious once she was deprived of them however briefly. She was going a little nuts, but this problem was solved when Thor's mother, Frigga, showed up to personally deliver payment of her husband's debt from the eating contest.

Even an inveterate tomboy like Jamie almost cried when Thor put the necklace around Jane's beautiful neck. The tender kiss they shared and the awe in her eyes were both just so sweet.

"Since I'm here," Frigga said before leaving, "let me have a look at you."

She wove a bit of Asgardian magic that raised the hairs on the back of Jamie's neck with wonder and anticipation, then pronounced judgment. "I hereby proclaim that you, Jamie Wanda Potter, are a healthy eleven year old. You need to remain in the brace for a few more months to allow your spine to heal, but otherwise you're cleared to return to your normal hijinks and troublemaking. May the gods have mercy on your caregivers."

Jamie squealed with glee and impulsively hugged the Queen of Asgard, who smiled and returned the hug. "Now, I fear I must go. If I leave Odin alone for too long, he might get bored and declare war on another realm or something."

"Thank you, your majesty," Jamie said respectfully, regaining as much poise as she could given she was eleven years old.

When Ron came down later that evening wearing the tux, he looked positively miserable. Jamie, however, looked rather splendid in a golden gown Jan, Jane and Pepper had helped her pick out. Everyone wanted to get pictures of the two of them together. Jamie loved the attention. Ron took it like a trooper.

"I tried to get a nap this afternoon so I don't conk out before midnight," she admitted as she helped Ron adjust his tie so it was a bit more comfortable. "I failed miserably. I'm just too wired."

He moved his neck, grateful he no longer felt like he was on the verge of being choked. "I didn't even think of trying to nap. I wouldn't have been able to if I tried. Did you see the dress Miss Romanoff was wearing?"

Jamie laughed and nodded. "Jan designed it for her personally. It definitely fits her well. I wonder if I'll ever be able to wear something like that."

He grinned at the image. "If you tried to wear it in England, you'd probably freeze something off."

"I'd risk it," she said. "Thanks for not laughing too hard at the image, though."

"Who was laughing?" He countered. "I'm not a bloomin' expert, but I'm not blind. I can see the differences between First Year girls an' Seventh Years. Just take a look at y'r Mum when she was in her First Year an' seven years later."

"I hadn't thought of that," Jamie admitted.

"I'm a boy, Jamie." Ron laughed. "We don't like t' let on, but we notice stuff like that. Hard not to. Me brothers, now. These days it's like they can't think o' much else. Percy's always primpin' 'r somethin' an' moonin' over some girl. Even Fred an' George 'r goin' girl crazy."

Jamie had to laugh as well. "I didn't think the twins thought about anything but getting into trouble."

Ron shrugged. "Most th' time, they don't, but George's got himself a crush on Angelina Johnson. I saw a picture of her in her First Year. Let's just say she's filled out an' leave it at that."

He paused. "What I'm bumblin' 'bout tryin' t' say, Jamie, is y'r already pretty an' y'r prolly just gonna get prettier an' prettier. I could see ya someday wearin' a dress like Miss Romanoff's."

Neither Ron nor Jamie would realize it for some years yet, but his honesty with her was only possible because he saw her as a friend, rather than as a girl. For most girls, being seen as "a friend" by a boy isn't necessarily a something they want to hear. Jamie wasn't most girls, of course.

She reached up and pulled his head down so she could kiss him on the cheek. "That's probably the sweetest thing a goofus like you ever said to me."

He laughed and rubbed his suddenly warm neck. "Ah. Y'r gonna make me blush."

The Stark New Year's Gala was one of THE events of the social season. It was NOT to be missed. The attendance of at least a few dozen of Manhattan's premiere heroes was almost guaranteed. It was a chance for the hoi polloi of Manhattan to rub elbows with people who had real power. It also raised an ungodly amount of money for the Maria Stark Foundation.

This would be the first time Jamie would be allowed to attend. Understandably, there weren't a lot of children who went to these things. There were some, however; most the teen and tween aged young people who were either representing those being helped by the Foundation and some children of the wealthy who twisted their parents' arms into bringing them so they could meet their favorite super hero.

Jamie knew most of the heroes who would be attending. The Fantastic Four would all be there. Professor Xavier, Scott, Jean, Warren, Dr. McCoy and Ororo would represent Xavier's and were even bringing Kitty and Peter. Jamie knew Mr. Logan was nearby, of course, with the chauffeurs and attaches. Sean Cassidy was also there with his daughter, Theresa, and his lady love, Dr. MacTaggart; so were Scott's brother, Alex, accompanying, Lorna Dane. Dr. Strange and his lady, Clea, had agreed to attend this year, as had Dr. Drumm. That didn't even include Padfoot, Moonie and Tonks who were heroes in their own right.

Of the Avengers, Tony was there with Pepper, of course. So was Tony's friend, Rhodey, who was accompanying Monica Rambeau. Dr. Banner was there with his wife, Betty. Wanda and her brother, Pietro, were coming. Thor and Jane turned every head in the place when they entered. Jan Van Dyne was there with her husband, Hank Pym. Scott Lang was accompanying Hank's daughter, Nadia. Cap was there, of course, and had dragged his friend, James Barnes, out with him. Steve was accompanying Carol Danvers and his friend was accompanying Natasha. Rick Jones, a longtime friend of the Avengers, was the lead guitarist and singer for one of the bands playing that night. Hercules even showed up, accompanied by no fewer than five super models.

Luke Cage and Jessica Jones were there with Luke's friend, Danny Rand, and his date, Misty Knight. They even had their normal babysitter, Doreen, with them. Clint was going solo this time, or course, as Bobbi was seven months pregnant. Jamie also identified Moonie's werewolf friend Jack Russell. From Canada, the Beaubier twins, Jean Paul and Jeanne Marie, were there and likely accompanied by at least some of their fellow Alpha Flight members. From Britain, James and Meggan Braddock accompanied Baroness Falsworth, the head of WHO, along with several others Jamie couldn't identify. On the other hand, Jamie was sure she recognized Japanese hero, Shiro Yoshida, from some X-Men files she read.

From SHIELD, who were responsible for security, Jamie noticed Nick, Maria Hill, Daisy Johnson, Sharon Carter and Phil Coulson, but also identified at least a dozen other agents she didn't know personally disguised as guests and staff. She also saw Valerie Cooper there, so SHIELD wasn't the only government organization working security. She wouldn't be surprised if half the alphabet of government organizations were represented in the grand hall that night.

There were also a few people Jamie knew, at least by reputation, but definitely didn't like who dared to show their faces. Jonah Jameson, General Ross and Henry Gyrich weren't any hero's friend.

All in all, Jamie knew that more than sixty metahuman and mutant heroes would be gathering in the Trump Tower ballroom that had been donated for this evening's soiree. Despite this, something was bothering her from the moment they entered the building. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was wrong, she was sure of it.

Ron, who was pretty star struck, even noticed something was wrong and asked her. "You okay, Jamie? You're not feelin' weak 'r dizzy 'r anything, are ya? Mr. Black made me promise t' let him know if ya started havin' any kind of trouble."

She smiled thinly. "No. It's nothing like that. It's just . . . . There's something wrong, Ron. I can't put my finger on it, but there's definitely something very wrong."

He looked around a little awkwardly, but of course, couldn't see anything amiss. "I can't see anything."

"I can't either," she admitted, "and it's driving me nuts. Look, I'm going to park my chair in the lady's room and scout around for a few minutes. I just can't shake this feeling that something really bad is about to happen. Can you find Cap and Padfoot and Wanda and let them know. See if you can ask the Professor and my cousin to do some telepathic scans . . . see if they can detect something. I can't even tell them what to look for. This is so frustrating."

As soon as Jamie headed towards the lady's room, Ron started looking for familiar faces. The list Jamie gave him was one thing, but her godmother had asked him and Hermione to do something else two months earlier; just before she returned to the US following the Halloween disaster.

"The last time Jamie accessed her chaos magic," she told them, "she awakened a lot of new powers with it. In fact, before that, the only powers she had were some enhanced agility, limited telekinesis and the ability to turn invisible. Most of the rest of her fae and mutant gifts were gained after that event. Now I don't think it's going to be anywhere near that drastic this time around, but she could start finding she can do some things she couldn't before. If the power is subtle enough, she might not recognize it right away. If you see anything, please tell an adult as soon as you can; any adult who knows her."

Ron figured this certainly counted. He already knew that Jamie had some pretty scary intuitive abilities, but she insisted no one was sure if it was a power or not. If this was something related, he figured the more heroes who knew what was going on, the better. Thor and Jane were the first friends he came across.

"Excuse me, Mr. Thor," he said, still a little shy around a guy who was for all purposes a god. "I don't know if it's anything, but Miss Maximoff told me that if I thought Jamie was developing any new powers after what happened on Halloween, I should tell an adult. She started getting a little buggy just after we got here and just asked me to tell her godmother, godfather and cousin, as well as Cap and Professor Xavier, that something bad was about to happen. She's not sure what, but she just dumped her chair in the loo so she can try to find out."

Thor raised a concerned eyebrow and turned to Jane, who nodded. "Go, Thor. Alert everyone, I'll find anyone I can and let them know to keep their eyes open. Better safe than sorry."

He smiled in wonder at this brilliant, but thoroughly normal, woman who had the bravery and common sense of the mightiest and wisest Asgard had to offer. "Verily."

Cap was the next person Ron found. He was sitting at a table with his friend, and Captain Marvel and Black Widow. Ron almost ran up to them visibly agitated.

"What's wrong, Ron?" Steve was immediately ready for trouble and the others took their cues from him almost as quickly.

"Sorry, sir," Ron apologized, "but Jamie's thinks something's off here tonight. She's not sure what, but it's freaking her out a bit. She's gone to see if she can find out what it is. She asked me to tell you and some others. Two months ago, Miss Wanda, told me that if I thought Jamie might be starting to show new powers, I should tell an adult; any adult who knew her. I'm not sure, but I think this is both."

Steve sighed. "That child is going to be the death of us all. Buck, Natasha, see if you can figure out what she's picking up on. Jamie's intuition isn't something to be taken lightly . . . especially if she's developing a new power. Carol, find Fury and Ms. Cooper. Tell them we don't know if it's anything yet, but they might want to double or triple check their security. I'll let some of the others know."

"I already told Thor," Ron told Cap as the two assassins turned hero vanished. "He and Dr. Foster, are trying to spread the word. Jamie asked me to find you, her godparents, her cousin and Professor Xavier. I'm going to try to find them now."

Steve nodded with a slight smile. "You're a good friend for her to have Ron. Go do what you need to, then find an adult you trust and stay with them in case this really is something to worry about. If anything does happen, keep your head down. We have over sixty of the world's greatest heroes here tonight. I don't think there's anything we won't be able to deal with."

Steve left the boy and quickly found Tony. "We may have a problem."

"What's up?" Tony was talking to a couple of military officers, including General Ross, with a drink in one hand and Pepper in the other.

Steve pulled Tony aside and spoke quietly while Pepper skillfully distracted the general and the other officers in another direction. "Jamie could be developing some new abilities and she's absolutely certain that something is wrong tonight. I don't think we need to evacuate, but given the possibilities, I want to be ready."

Tony was a little skeptical, but he wasn't about to discount Steve's expertise. "I don't think it's anything to worry about. Who would be foolish enough to attack this event? We know there are over sixty heroes here, but even the most conservative estimates the press is putting out is two dozen."

"Agreed," Steve admitted, "but I'm not taking anything for granted."

Sirius, Remus and Tonks were the next group Ron found. When he told them what was up, all three gathered closely, surreptitiously drew their wands and cast some detection spells.

"Something's definitely wrong," Sirius told Ron a few minutes later. "Background magical levels in this area are seriously off kilter. Whatever it is, it's extremely subtle or extremely well cloaked. I wouldn't have even noticed it if you hadn't told us to look. Tonks, please go and wait for Jamie in the ladies room in case she returns to her chair. "I'm going to look for her. Moonie, would you find Dr. Strange and his companions. Let them know what's up."

"I'll find Miss Wanda and let her know," Ron offered. "I think I'll be at the X-Men's table after that. I need to tell Jean and the Professor anyway."

Padfoot nodded. "Excellent idea, Ron. I can't think of too many places you'd be safer if things go wrong. Stay with them and keep your head down if things start happening, leave it to the professionals."

Ron smiled. "Ya don't have to tell me twice, sir. Unlike yer goddaughter, I ain't got no delusions of someday becoming a superhero."

When Ron found Wanda and her brother, Pietro, Wanda was not happy. "Blast that child. She has to have a death wish. Over sixty professional adult heroes in this building and she goes off on her own looking for trouble. Would it have been too much for her to have let us handle it? What am I even saying? Of course it would. This is Jamie we're talking about."

She sighed and turned to her brother. "Pietro, would you take a look around? If you see anything that doesn't look right, no matter how small, call it in. If you run into Jamie, tell her to get her furry tail back in her chair and let us deal with this."

As Pietro vanished in a blur of speed, Wanda turned to Ron. "Professor Xavier and Jean are over there. Go join them, Ron. Tell them what's happening and see if the Professor can run an astral search, then stay there. If there's trouble, we'll find it and deal with it. I already have Jamie wandering around sticking her nose into things she has no business dealing with. The last thing I need to worry about right now is you."

Ron saluted smartly, exactly as he'd seen Jamie do before, but Wanda wasn't buying it. "Don't give me that, Ronald Weasley. I mean it. Until further notice, I want you and the Professor to be joined at the hip and tell him I said that. If I find out you got involved, an owl being sent to your parents will be the last thing you'll have to worry about. Do you understand me?"

Ron swallowed nervously. "Yes, ma'am."

She smiled. "I'm going to find Stephen and Jericho, and see if they can do astral searches of their own."

Ron obeyed immediately and told Xavier what was up, then took a seat next to him and looked at Jean. "I'm worried about Jamie."

Jean smiled. "We all are, Ron, but you don't need to be. That girl is infuriatingly independent, but she's not stupid. She knows how to take care of herself. I let Logan know she was out and about. He's going to look for her."

Scott nodded. "That means he'll find her. That man can be a loose cannon, but he knows his stuff. Jean, let Bobby and Tessa back at the mansion know what's going on. Have them get as many people as they can get together on the Blackwing and get into the area. The reinforcements probably won't be needed and might not even be able to get here in time, but I'm not making assumptions."

Jamie flew invisibly and intangibly, searching the back halls and storage rooms of the Trump Plaza with determination and focus. She was also extremely frustrated and confused. She'd always been more intuitive than most, but this was something new. She figured it was a new power triggered by the Halloween incident. She didn't think it was precognition, though. It wasn't like she was seeing the future. It felt more like she was picking up on something that was happening right now. It almost felt a little telepathic, but she wasn't picking up on anyone's thoughts . . . at least no consciously. She just wished she knew what she was sensing, but the subconscious nature of this ability made that impossible and extremely frustrating.

Flying around a corner, she encountered a group of people dressed like EMTs. There didn't seem to be anything wrong; at least not on the surface, but to Jamie, it was obvious that something was definitely off. She couldn't put her finger on it until she recognized a man and a woman from some old Avengers case files. They were in their civilian guises of Karla Sofen and Calvin Zabo, but she had to wonder what Moonstone and Mr. Hyde were doing working together, much less moonlighting as EMTs.

She listened in as a third person, she suddenly recognized as Karl Lykos addressed the group. "My fellow Acolytes have the helipad on the roof secured. You can tell your friend, the Baron, no reinforcements will be coming from that direction."

Sofen frowned. "Baron Blood is no friend of mine, Lykos, and the Lethal Legion is no one's errand boy. Why Hydra let that vampire plan this assault is beyond me. Nonetheless, we will do our part. The hero community will never recover from what we do here tonight."

What was going on here? Since when was Sauron a member of the Acolytes? What did Baron Blood have to do with Hydra? What did they have planned? Jamie was briefly torn between leaving so she could let the others know what was going on and staying in hopes that this group would let something else slip.

Again on this specific occasion, she let her better angels win. She reached out to Xavier knowing she'd be ordered to stop exploring. It was the right thing to do. This was too big. The others had to be warned. She swore to herself, however, that she wasn't going to make a habit out of being so responsible. It ate too much into her fun.

 _Jamie,_ his voice revealed his relief. _Stop what you're doing this very minute and return to the ballroom. Let us deal with this._

She sighed. _I'm coming, Professor. You need to let the others know. There's a bloody army of super villains in the building. I think Hydra is behind it, but Baron Blood is involved somehow._

Xavier nodded, taking the report with surprising aplomb. _Who did you see?_

Jamie counted off. _I only saw Moonstone, Mr. Hyde and Sauron, Hyde and Moonstone are disguised as EMT's. They claimed to be with the Lethal Legion. Sauron was talking to them. They didn't seem happy to be working together, but he claimed he was with the Acolytes._

She paused. _He said the Acolytes had secured the helipad. They said they were all working for Hydra, but for some reason Baron Blood was coordinating things. They were even less happy about that._

She became solid and visible and floated down into her chair where Tonks was waiting for her, but continued briefing Xavier. _What's going on here, Professor? Since when was Sauron a member of the Acolytes?_

Xavier could answer one of her questions at least. _We heard word that Exodus was forming a new Acolytes team, and has been reaching out to some new people who weren't involved with any of the team's previous incarnations. You did a good job, child. Leave the rest of this to us._

By the time Jamie pulled her chair up to the table where Ron and Xavier were sitting, things were in full swing. Xavier was nice enough to include the two eleven year olds in the massive mind link he was coordinating with over sixty heroes. Reports were coming in fast and furious.

 _Found a buncha bodies o' SHIELD agents in one o' th' storage rooms,_ Logan reported. _They were stripped o' their uniforms an' equipment, but I recognized some of 'em an' they all smell like Fury's stogies._

Quicksilver reported an instant later. _There's a bunch of costumed cretins and Hydra agents in the building's sub-basement. They're setting up some extremely advanced technology. I doubt we want to let them finish their work._

Captain America quickly took charge. No one asked him to, but no one questioned it. It was simply assumed by all present that he would. Such was the respect the other heroes had for the man.

 _The helipad is a concern,_ he told them. _The X-Men and SHIELD both have reinforcements flying in. They're going to need somewhere to land. Dr. Strange, would you take some of the wizards up there and deal with them? Take Dr. Drumm, Clea, Wanda, Sirius, Remus and Ms. Tonks. Exodus is an Omega class threat all on his own and we have no idea who he has with him. Whatever is waiting there, the seven of you should be able to handle it. If you get into trouble call for help and we'll get anyone up to you we can spare._

Strange responded quickly. _We could also use the assistance of Mr. Russell and I'm detecting Ghost Rider in the area. We may need the help if we have to get into a fight._

Steve nodded, then moved on. _Good idea. I'll leave that in your hands. Tony, take Hank Pym, Beast, Hulk, SpiderMan and Wonder Man. Deal with the threat in the sub-basement. Take Jan and Rhodey with you just in case. Daredevil, your enhanced senses could be useful as well, if you'd join them._

Tony and his team were already in motion as Cap continued to appoint team leaders; assigning teams and missions in rapid succession. _Luke, you, Iron Fist, Jewel, Ms. Knight and Squirrel Girl will be responsible for protecting the innocents here. Firestar and Justice will assist you. Be ready. Sooner or later, someone's going to decide to take hostages. We'll need you to hold them off until we can get reinforcements to you. Dr. Richards, take your team and secure the outside perimeter. They're going to want to keep us pinned in. I'm depending on the Fantastic Four to keep escape routes open in case of an emergency. Natasha, I want you to take charge of a covert search and destroy team. Take Hawkeye, Tigra, Winter Soldier, Scott Lang and Nadia Pym._

Natasha acknowledged her orders. _I recognized a potential ally in the crowd earlier. Moon Knight is attending in his secret ID. I'll contact him and have him join us._

Steve nodded and assigned the core teams. _The rest of us will divide into four teams and each take a quadrant of the main floors of the tower. I'll take Arachne, Captain Marvel, Pulsar, Quasar, Hercules, Thor and Spider Woman. We'll be Assault One and will clear the northwest quadrant. Quicksilver, I'd like you to join us. Cyclops, take the rest of your X-Men and begin clearing threats in the northeast quadrant. Your team will be designated Assault Two. Spitfire, your WHO heroes are Assault Three and will clear the southwest quadrant. Vindicator, please take the people you have from Alpha Flight and clear the southeast quadrant. You'll be Assault Four. I'll have Black Panther, Sunfire and Silver Sable work with you; Quake too, if Fury can spare her._

Nick Fury had nearly bitten through his third cigar of the night. _We can handle the non-powered security issues. Agent Johnson's all y'rs. We already cornered a dozen Hydra moles in stolen SHIELD array. Just get that helipad cleared. We have reinforcements en route and we're gonna need 'em._

Cap gave the four assault teams a few final instructions before heading out with his team. _Steer any non-combatants you find back here. If there are as many super criminals out there as Jamie thinks, it's not safe to evacuate them; better for them to hunker down in here. Otherwise, keep your eyes open and be ready for anything._

Jamie watched in wonder as Captain America took nearly seventy highly powerful individualists and divided them into teams almost as fast as he could read a roster. The man was unbelievable. Her new ability was untested and unquantified as yet, but she knew instinctively that they'd need every advantage they could get. They were still likely to be outnumbered by as much as two to one and that wasn't the worst of it.

There was something else in play this night, however, something even more dangerous, and she was wracking her brain to figure out what it might be. When it hit her, it was like a bolt out of the blue and she turned to the Professor who was working harder than he ever had to before to coordinate a link between so many people; a link that would be the difference between life and death.

"Professor," she asked quietly. "Ask Dr. Strange to scan the area for the stolen magical artifacts."

Xavier didn't blink, but conveyed the request. Strange's response came but a moment later. _Jamie's right. I'm detecting as many as six powerful artifact signatures. I recognize several of them. As soon as we clear the helipad, my team will try to locate them. They could be the biggest threat we face this night._


	11. 11: New Year's Brawl

**Writer's Notes: There's going to be a whole lot of super hero action in this chapter, but first and foremost, this is Jamie's story and she needs to be at the center of it. Since she's not fighting alongside the heroes, those battles will be but the backdrop to her story as she deals with being sidelined and makes some fateful decisions that will affect her future. I'm also going to be exploring her newest abilities and the ramifications thereof. Of course, given she's the star of the story she has to be the one to save the day in the end.**

 **I should also note to my continuing readers that most of the previous ten chapters have been edited and expanded to include multiple references to the role of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Massachusetts and the Magical Congress of the United States from the upcoming movie, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".**

 **Chapter Eleven: "New Year's Brawl"**

Two teams of criminals and terrorists were holding the heliport. Exodus led a team of Acolytes consisting of Chrome, Cortez, Feral, Frenzy, Locus, Phantazia, Sauron and Thornn. With them was a team put together specifically for this mission and given the name Spider Slayers. They were led by Tombstone and consisted of an array of SpiderMan villains, including Chameleon, Cyclone, Lightmaster, Menace, Scorpion, Spot, Vermin and Will O' Wisp.

Strange teleported his team into their midst and the criminals were caught by surprise. Strange tackled Exodus personally, wrapping him in crimson bands of magical energy. Unable to break free physically, Exodus attempted to assault Strange's mind and quickly learned the folly of that ploy. Even the nigh immortal omega level mutant's powers were a match for the Sorcerer Supreme.

Moonie, Padfoot and Tonks formed a triangle and used their wands to great effect. They took out Cortez, Chameleon and Vermin in quick succession, then turned their combined power on Tombstone who, although quite tough, was no match for the collective magic of three trained wizards.

Thanks in part to the intervention of the Scarlet Witch, both team leaders went down in the initial exchange and things went downhill for the villains from there. Sauron tried to use his hypnotic powers on Ghost Rider, but was met by a Penance Stare that left Lykos a mewling wretch. He would be days recovering. Feral and Thornn tried to team up on Jack Russell, only to have him activate the amulet he wore; an amulet that once belonged to John Jameson and turned him into the Man-Wolf, but had a reverse effect on Jack, enabling him to control his feral half. The sisters almost immediately found themselves on the receiving end of a serious beating.

A hex-bolt from Scarlet Witch sent Spot careening into Locus; their powers interacting extremely poorly, causing both to disappear and not return to the battle. For that matter, it would be some time before either was seen again. Neither would ever speak of what happened to them, but they would spend the rest of their lives trying to kill each other on the rare occasions when they crossed paths.

Scorpion attempted to attack Wanda from behind while she was distracted, but was intercepted by Clea who turned him into a very real, very small scorpion. It would take days for the spell to wear off and be all that he could do to scuttle for cover lest someone in the fight accidentally step on him. Unfortunately, this attack left Clea vulnerable to Phantazia who fried her synapses.

Frenzy lifted Clea's unconscious form from the tarmac. "Okay, heroes. Here's your choice. Surrender or I rip her head off."

"No," Strange said with calm finality as he dropped Exodus' unconscious body to the roof, "you won't."

Few people have the emotional strength to withstand the raw exposure of Agamotto's All-Seeing Eye. Frenzy wasn't one of those people. When the eye opened and cast its gaze on her, she screamed, dropped Clea and then collapsed herself. All the lies that she'd told herself all her life to explain her many flaws of character were exposed in an instant. She couldn't handle it.

Cyclone, Lightmaster and Will O' Wisp were floating apart from the fight and about to decide to bolt when Dr. Voodoo floated up near them and sprayed them with magical dust. Normally, this wouldn't cause them problems. Cyclone controlled winds and the other two no longer breathed. Magic, however, didn't rely on physics or autonomic functions. The trio collapsed; lost in a hallucinogenic fugue from which they would awaken in custody.

Fifteen of the eighteen criminals holding the helipad were down, while eight of the nine heroes were still active. Phantazia was the next to fall when a hex bolt from Wanda turned her powers in on her. Menace found herself facing Ghost Rider and was shredded by his demonic chain. She fell bleeding both through her skin and within her soul. It was a terrible experience. Last to go down was Chrome who was taken out by three curses from the three wanded wizards in the fight.

"This is Strange," Stephen said over the mind link. "The roof is secured. Clea has been injured. I'm leaving the others to hold the helipad and taking her to safety. I'll return very shortly."

Ghost Rider, however, had other ideas. "There are many in this tower deserving of vengeance. I'll not sit here while they run free."

Dr. Strange had no sooner left when Ghost Rider rode his motorcycle through the roof access door and down the stairs into the building.

"So not a team player," Jamie noted down in the main ballroom.

"Reinforcements are on their way," Xavier told her. "Both from the X-Men and SHIELD."

"That's easy for you to say, Professor." Jamie actually laughed a little bitterly. "Both my godparents are on that roof with just two werewolves, a tomboy witch and a houngan for company. Half the super criminals in the state are running around this tower hunting heroes and I'm stuck here with about a dozen babysitters."

"They'll be okay," Ron tried to console her. "They know what they're doing."

"I hope you're right, Ron." Jamie didn't sound all that convinced. "I sure hope you're right."

"Captain America's team has engaged a large force comprised of members of the Serpent Society." Xavier told them, trying to get their minds off what was happening on the roof. "A second team of trained assassins, including Bullseye, Mystique, Spiral and Wolverine's son, Daken, among others, were prepared to ambush them while they were distracted with the Society, but they were instead ambushed by Black Widow's team."

The trick worked, getting both Jamie's and Ron's attention.

"With both Thor and Hercules on Cap's team," Jamie said, "I almost feel sorry for the Serpent Society. It's going to be a short fight."

"The Wrecking Crew were heading to the roof, but ran into Ghost Rider," Xavier continued. "Apparently their mystical protections don't include his penance stare. Wrecker and Thunderball are down. Bulldozer and Piledriver are running for their lives; a new experience for them, I'm sure."

There was a loud, but somewhat distant explosion and Pepper shook her head. "The Donald's never going to let Tony hear the end of this one. I just hope he has his superhero insurance paid up . . . heck, I hope he has a tower left when this is over."

Around them, Luke Cage and his crew were patrolling the nearby halls and chambers in hopes of intercepting and staving off an attack on the civilians inside. Pepper, Betty and Mary Jane were working to keep everyone not accustomed to superhero battles calm while Moira and a few other doctors who happened to be there were pooling what resources they had to treat the injured as they made their way to the comparative safety of the ballroom. Jane was working with other scientists present to try to figure out what the attackers were up to, based on what information they were getting from the heroes. Not knowing what else to do to help, Rick Jones had his band on stage playing quietly in hopes of keeping everyone calm. Rick's wife, Marlo, was working with the kitchen and wait staff to keep the food and drinks coming. Everyone was doing what they could. Even Agatha Harkness who almost had to be forced to attend the event was working to magically reinforce the chamber.

Jamie was feeling useless. She was also feeling distracted. She couldn't seem to focus. It was like something was drawing her attention away; pulling her somewhere; pulling her downward, actually.

Finally, she rolled her chair over to Agatha. "Professor?"

"We're not at school, child." The ancient woman smiled. "You can call me Aunt Agatha again, if you like; at least while we're here in America."

Agatha paused. "Something's wrong."

"I've had a week to rest since Thor's mother gave me that tonic," Jamie told her. "Since yesterday when we visited Ilvermorny, I've been feeling stuff . . . weird stuff. I'm just not sure what but I think it started when we visited the school's Vault of Magic It's driving me nuts."

Agatha had someone pull a chair up so she could take a seat next to Jamie. "Describe these feelings."

Jamie sighed. "Earlier tonight, I knew something was wrong before anyone else did. It didn't feel like I was reading the future. It was more like I was sensing stuff going on at the moment. It wasn't like seeing or hearing or anything; more like I just KNEW."

She paused, feeling frustrated not being able to come up with the right words. "Just like I knew that some of those magical artifacts the Deatheaters stole were nearby. Now, I know they're in the basement below us. I don't know how I know, I just do. I feel them pulling me . . . not quite physically, but . . . ."

"Do you have any sense of what artifacts we're dealing with?" Agatha asked. "There are more than a dozen of them; some worse than others."

"Not really," Jamie admitted. "I'm just getting vague images. There's some kind of crown that seems Chinese for some reason and some kind of a headdress that I think is African. There's also a sword. Is it strange to think of a sword as female? There's an amulet. I think it and the headdress are a little separate from the others and, I don't know how I know this, but both are being used right now. Finally, there's a robe of some kind and a cross or crucifix, but they're even vaguer. Funny, I didn't even realize any of that until you asked me."

"Most interesting," Agatha mused. "Most interesting, indeed. Do you think you'd be up for a little mental exercise?"

Jamie perked up. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just open your mind to me," Agatha told her. "Show me what you're sensing."

In the northeast quadrant of the building, the X-Men had cleared two levels before they encountered a battle royal in one of the smaller ballrooms; one that had been set up for some kind of wedding reception that fortunately hadn't been happening that night. Three crews of criminals were facing off against each other. There was the latest incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants, which was led by Banshee's cousin, Black Tom Cassidy. Tom had no qualms telling any who would listen that he considered the Marauders, now under the leadership of Scalphunter, race traitors for their role in the mutant massacre of a few years earlier. As if those two crews coming together wasn't enough, the Reavers, who hated all mutants, were there as well, led by Lady Deathstrike.

More than half of the combatants had already been taken out when the X-Men arrived, leaving just under a dozen combatants to deal with. Cyke could have ordered the others to stand down and let the criminals pare their own numbers down some more before they moved in and cleaned up the survivors, but that wasn't the X-Men's way. Besides the battle was doing too much damage to the building's infrastructure. If they didn't do something soon, but damage could become catastrophic, even irreparable.

Guided by the mind link Phoenix maintained for the team, Storm announced their presence with a lightning bolt that took out both Skullbuster and Bonebreaker; frying their cybernetics. This left Lady Deathstrike, herself, the only Reaver still on her feet. She, of course, took one look at Wolverine and turned all her rage on him. This made Cyclops roll his eyes, but suited Logan just fine. He met the woman in mid leap and they began tearing at each other with near berserker fury.

Unfortunately, Storm left herself open to Vertigo of the Marauders, who took advantage. With a sudden and total loss of balance and equilibrium, Ororo flew full speed and head first into a load bearing column. The column didn't give.

Reacting quickly, Jean telekinetically pulled Ororo's unconscious body out of the fray and off to the side where Archangel could go to work healing her. Looking up and nodding to Jean, Warren confirmed that Ororo's injuries didn't seem life threatening. The tall, gentle force of nature being taken out this early in a fight, however, never boded well for the team.

Cyclops responded by taking Vertigo out with a tight beam that he bounced off of her head. The beam caromed off and hit Lady Mastermind as well. Both women were knocked unconscious and would likely have concussions, but would recover. On the bad side, taking down Lady Mastermind freed Blockbuster from her control. Fortunately, he shook his head free and turned into a punch from Colossus. Since he wasn't braced, the Marauders' brick flew back across the room, bouncing several times, but quickly regained his feet.

"X-Men." Blockbuster smiled and rubbed his chin. "Now this is really a party."

Suddenly, the surviving criminals quit fighting each other and turned on their mutual enemy. The fight was now on in earnest. In quick succession, Havok loosed a plasma blast and seared Arclight, who went down hard more than twenty feet from where she started. Scalphunter responded with a shot that bounced off of Havok's skull. Seeing Alex fall, Polaris used her magnetic powers to rip every piece of metal from Scalphunter's tech suit, leaving him with nothing to make weapons out of. Finishing with Ororo, Archangel turned to heal Havok. En route, he fired off several flechettes from his wings, hitting both the now disarmed Scalphunter and the still dangerous Black Tom with powerful neurotoxins.

Seeing that the fight between Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike was too even, Shadowcat phased through both of them. This had no effect on Logan, but fried Yuriko's cybernetics. At the same instant, Phoenix hit Unuscione with a mind blast that ignored her psychokinetic exo-skeleton and put her unconscious. That left only the now three way fight between the bricks; Colossus, Blockbuster and the Blob. When Colossus, Cyclops, Phoenix, Polaris, the still recovering Storm and Wolverine all combined attacks on the two surviving opponents, not even Blockbuster and Blob could long stand.

Agatha cast a spell that enabled her to enter Jamie's mind. "Fascinating, child. Your ability to detect the presence of dark magics seems to have grown into the ability to detect all kinds of magic, like the magic of the six artifacts below us."

Nearby, Xavier monitored the battles. The Fantastic Four was outnumbered by nearly four to one, facing the U-Foes, a new incarnation of the Frightful Four and an expanded team calling themselves the Sinister Seven. Surprisingly, the four were more than holding their own against the fifteen. The power of the Fantastic Four was nothing to be sneezed at.

Having helped Cap's team deal with the Serpent Society and an alliance of nine super assassins, Widow's team was moving through the building taking out Hydra agents by the dozens. Assault One continued to clear its section of the building until it encountered a team using the name Lethal Legion in the basement parking garage. They were led by Taskmaster and consisted of Graviton, Grey Gargoyle, Jack O' Lantern, Looter, Moonstone, Mr. Hyde, Nitro and Unicorn. Cap had to wonder how so many egos could coexist on a single team.

Assault Three, consisting of nine of Britain's greatest heroes, including the mutant, Banshee, and his daughter, Siryn, found itself up against a team led by the Strucker twins, Fenris. They announced that they're name was Terror Incorporated. Their raw power almost matched their egos . . . almost. The British heroes made rather short work of them only to run into a second more powerful and dangerous team called the Destroyers. They were led by Klaw and consisted of an array of bricks including Abomination, Absorbing Man, Goliath, Man-Killer, Powerhouse, Rhino, Roughhouse and Titania. This would have been a much tougher, even losing, battle if Widow's team and Ghost Rider hadn't shown up. Even with the reinforcements, it was a close battle.

Assault Four, with several members of Canada's Alpha Flight and some other heroes like Black Panther, Sunfire and Quake, encountered a group of nine members of the Mutant Liberation Front. It was the team guarding the main ballroom, however, that faced the biggest threat. The attackers had been assembled for this mission and given the name Blood Bath. Led by Sabretooth, they included Bloodshed, Carnage, Griffin, Lizard, Marrow, Omega Red, Swarm and Tiger Shark. As good as Luke Cage and his team were, they wouldn't have been able to stand against this crew.

Realizing this, Agatha broke contact with Jamie. "Excuse me, Jamie, but I believe I should get involved in this matter."

With that, Agatha walked calmly out the main entrance of the room. What followed was a cacophony of crashes and screams and growls. Less than a minute later, however, Agatha calmly reentered the ballroom and returned to her chair next to Jamie.

The hallway outside was silent but for one awed phrase that drifted in as the door was opened to readmit Agatha. "Sweet Christmas!"

The fighting was at its height on multiple fronts when Xavier suddenly lost contact with Iron Man's team which was heading down to the sub-basement to deal with the machine being assembled there and the villains guarding it. It happened so suddenly that most people in the link weren't even sure what happened. One second, nine heroes were moving rapidly towards their destination. In an instant eight of them were down and Beast was the only one left. An instant after that, he was taken out by a blast of force from the Iron Monger armor of Ezekiel Stane.

In that last image, however, Jamie saw something. "Baron Blood was wearing the headdress and the amulet. What are they?"

"The headdress is tied to a being called Lion God, an avatar of Sekhmet," Agatha told her. "Among other things it enables the wearer to command great military forces."

"The amulet is tied to Kukulcan," Xavier added. "The X-Men dealt with its modern day discoverer, an archaeologist known only as El Tigre. It grants the wearer great mental powers and the ability to control minds. Apparently, it doesn't work on mutants, which is why Hank lasted long enough to see what happened."

He paused. "I'd hypothesize that even with the combined power of the two items, if he's influencing all of the criminals involved in this, he's wearing his power pretty thin. That's why the three groups the X-Men encountered were fighting each other and why the Acolytes and Lethal Legion didn't seem to be cooperating very well. It also means that he shouldn't be able to command our friends to attack each other or us."

Jamie nodded. "Can you get the rest of the X-Men down there?"

"Not quickly," he admitted. "They're still clearing their quadrant of the building and are fighting a contingent of Hydra agents holding hostages."

"We have to get someone down there," Jamie considered. "Firestar, Justice and Squirrel Girl are all mutants and are on Mr. Cage's team, but there is a team of vampires and another team of what I recognize as old adversaries of Iron Man down there. They're good, but not that good."

She paused. "I think the other four artifacts are powering the machine they built. I don't know what it does, but with that kind of power, it can't be good. It looked like it was about ready to be activated."

Xavier nodded reluctantly, realizing where Jamie was going.

"It has to be me, Professor," she said, both terrified and determined. "I'm the only one who can get there and stop this."

"You're only eleven, Jamie," he insisted.

"I don't know for sure, but if I'm right and that thing gets turned on, I don't think I'll live to see twelve. Tell me there's someone else in position who can deal with it and I'll listen."

"It's not my decision," Xavier responded adamantly and opened a side link between Jamie and her godparents.

Their response when she quickly told them what was happening was unanimous and simultaneous. "No!"

"It's our only chance, guys," she insisted. "No one else can get there in time, avoid getting caught and resist the powers of that amulet if they do get spotted. I'm also the only one who knows exactly where the artifacts are. I can both disarm Blood and rob their machine of its power source. No one else can do that. I promise I'll stay invisible and intangible the whole time. They won't know what hit them and won't be able to hit me."

Both Wanda and Sirius wanted to argue with Jamie, but they couldn't. Like it or not; still a kid or not; Jamie really was the only person who could do this. Fortunately, none of the artifacts involved, not even the headdress or the amulet, had any history of taking over anyone that touched them.

Wanda turned to Sirius who nodded miserably, then sighed. "Be careful, Jamie. In and out. Don't try to do anything but get the artifacts. Leave the rest to us. SHIELD has arrived, the roof is secure and Dr. Strange has returned. We're taking our team down to deal with the sub-basement problem. We'll be there in less than five minutes."

Jamie sent each of them the equivalent of a mental kiss on the cheek, then nodded grimly, swallowing down the butterflies in her stomach, and vanished. It was up to her and she wasn't about to let everyone down.

Down in the sub-basement, two dozen figures stood over the fallen bodies of nine unconscious heroes. The Council of Nine, the leaders of Hydra were there: Arnim Zola, Dr. Faustus, Leader, Madame Hydra, Mandrill, Purple Man, Red Skull, Strucker and Zemo. A team calling itself the Revengers, consisting of seven Iron Man enemies was there: Ezekiel Stane, Fixer, Living Laser, Melter, Molten Man, Whiplash and Whirlwind. The third group called itself Blood Pact and consisted of vampires and pseudo-vampires: Baron Blood, Bloodscream, Grim Reaper, Lilith, Mauvais, Morbius and Nekra. Nearly two dozen Avengers class villains and eleven year old Jamie Potter was flying right into the middle of them.

 _I've got to be crazy,_ she told herself as she phased through the roof and floated down next to Baron Blood. _Aunt Wanda was right. There's no way I'm ready for this. I'm barely old enough to stop playing with dolls. I still sleep with a stuffed animal. What am I doing here? I want to be back home at Hogwarts, asleep in my bed in the Gryffindor dorm._

Without Blood pulling everyone's strings, the whole attack would break down. Jamie figured her only shot was to grab both artifacts at the same time and vanish through the roof, then come back for the four in the machine. When she made her move, however, as soon as she touched the two items, there was a flash of light and a tingle that ran throughout her body and both vanished. She didn't have them. They were just gone. She didn't know where and wasn't sure she wanted to, but figured her job had just become a whole lot easier.

Going over to the machine, she started with the cross: touch, flash, tingle, gone. As fast as she could move, the crown, sword and robe joined the other three in oblivion.

It was time to get out. Things were starting to happen fast around her. Free of the compulsion of the amulet, Hank Pym and Jan Van Dyne, who had returned to full size when they went unconscious, vanished. The Hulk who had reverted to the form of Dr. Banner began to turn green again. Iron Man and Iron Patriot started rebooting their systems. Daredevil and SpiderMan vaulted to their feet. Wonder Man returned to his feet a little more slowly, but forcefully. Only poor Hank McCoy remained unconscious.

On the other side, the nine members of the Hydra Council turned to each other and all nodded in agreement, which Red Skull put into words. "You failed, Herr Baron. Your army is falling apart. Your enemies are recovering. You've lost your artifacts and your machine that would destroy Manhattan is an oversized paperweight without them. We don't ally with failures."

With that, the nine figures de-rezzed, revealing themselves to have been highly realistic holograms all along. They would be some of the only criminals involved in this battle to make good their escape.

Jamie's head was reeling and she was feeling almost drunk, something she hadn't felt since the catnip incident, but different and not nearly as pleasant. Touching those artifacts had definitely done something to her. She returned to the ballroom a little shakily and barely made it to her chair before she collapsed.

"I don't feel so good."

"What happened down there, Jamie?" Agatha's concern was evident and almost overpowering.

"Don't know." Jamie was trying desperately to clear her head.

Agatha scanned her magically and frowned, then sent a message to Wanda and Sirius through Xavier. "She seems to be unharmed, but the auras of the six artifacts are now emanating from her. I don't know how, but she seems to have absorbed them."

"Can you reverse it?" Wanda demanded, nearly panicking.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin," Agatha admitted. "Maybe Stephen will be able to figure out more. For the moment, besides being a little dizzy and nauseous, it doesn't seem to be having any other effect on her. I'll keep a close eye on her until you all finish your mission and can get back up here."

In the end, the final battle in the sub-basement was short and brutal. Wanda and Sirius set the pace for the heroes and neither was inclined to waste time being gentle. In addition to the leaders of Hydra who hadn't really been there, Baron Blood and a handful of his immediate associates threw the Revengers and the rest of their own team to the wolves to cover their escape. By the time all was said and done, nearly a hundred super criminals were in custody along with at least twice that number of Hydra agents.

Those without outstanding warrants, however, would eventually have to be let go. All involved quickly claimed to have been mind-controlled by the Baron and not responsible for their actions. Everyone was pretty sure it was all a lie, but there was the presumption of innocence to consider. The courts would be tied up with cases and lawsuits related to this battle well into the summer.

The Trump Towers would survive and not have to be condemned, but it was a close call. Only the actions of several of the heroes and some topnotch construction crews averted complete disaster. Major sections of the building, however, would be closed for construction for the coming year and Damage Control Inc. would practically have to open a branch office in the building to deal with the super hero insurance claims.

The night, however, was nowhere near over for the heroes. The other guests were sent home early, but there was a lot of work left for the Avengers and their allies to do. The team that ran into Agatha was most problematic. Omega Red was unconscious and bound; nearly strangled by his own tentacles. Carnage was a bloody mess. Luke and his team reported that his own symbiote attacked him. Bloodshed was paralyzed; even petrified; stiff as a girder and unable to move; his every muscle working against every other muscle in his body. Marrow was trapped in a cocoon comprised of her own hardened bone mass. Swarm had been completely dissipated. Finally, Sabretooth, Griffin, Lizard, and Tiger Shark had turned on each other and virtually torn themselves to shreds. They were all unconscious and would remain so as long as it took their respective healing factors to mend their own bodies. The heroes who witnessed the scene all swore that Agatha barely even moved or gestured as her foes fell on each other.

"Miss Harkness," Luke said as the bodies were carted away. "You're one scary lady. I ain't afraid of much, but please remind me t' never piss you off."

"What he said," Luke's friend, Danny Rand, concurred.

Agatha merely nodded acknowledgement of their words of respect as Dr. Strange began looking over Jamie.

"I'm feeling a little better," she told him. "The room isn't spinning as much and I already threw up everything I had in my stomach."

Wanda and Sirius stood nearby, extremely concerned and unimpressed with her protestations.

"This is new," Stephen said, examining Jamie through the lens of the Eye. "In all my years, I've never encountered anything quite like it. I can detect the auras of the six artifacts in her essence, but they're rapidly being subsumed into her own aura which is mutating at an incredible rate to incorporate the new energies."

He paused. "I can't separate them, but I can tell you that it doesn't seem to be having any negative side effects on her. Even her dizziness and nausea could be compared to a child who ate way to much candy all at once and became sick. It will pass. In fact, it's already passing. By the time the sun rises, I doubt there will be much left of them except what she's absorbed."

"That's a lot of power for anyone, much less a child, absorb," Wanda said. "What lasting effect will it have on her?"

"I wish I could set your mind at ease, Wanda," Strange responded with sympathy, "but there's no way of knowing at this point."

"Sage arrived several minutes ago with an additional crew of X-Men," Xavier offered. "I've asked her to come and have a look at Jamie. She may be able to tell us something."

"Thank you, Professor." Wanda's voice showed the first hint of relief. "Thank both of you."

"Yeah," Jamie offered with honesty, but just a hint of sarcasm, feeling a little left out being talked about instead of talked to. "Thanks."

When Sage arrived and scanned Jamie, she blinked several times, then looked up at the others. "Her existing abilities haven't changed all that much. Her ability to channel magic has increased exponentially and her latent gene for telepathy is no longer latent. What's changed most, however, is her potential. It's off the scale. She's gone from high beta / low alpha class power to pure omega class potential."

She paused, then clarified. "That's not to say she'd omega class now; just that she has the potential to reach that level when she gets older and is more able to handle the power."

"That's a relief at least," Sirius sighed.

"We will need to find a way to suppress her telepathic potential until she learns to control it," Tessa warned. "She's still adapting now, but she'll start exhibiting power soon and Jean can tell you suddenly discovering that level of power isn't easy for anyone; much less a kid."

Tony interjected. "There's a Starktech satellite lab facility on the fifteenth floor of the tower. I'll take Forge and Reed and we'll see if we can't come up with something that will help with that and not short out when she returns to Hogwarts in a couple of days. Shouldn't take us more than fifteen minutes to half an hour if we pool our brains."

As Tony and the others left, Jamie noticed that Tessa was trying to pull Wanda and Sirius aside. "If there's more to it than that, please just say it in front of me. It's my body and mind. I deserve to know what's going on."

Tessa looked at Jamie's godparents, who nodded, then she sighed. "I addition to learning to control your new telepathic powers and figuring out how to touch magical items and people without absorbing them, I detected the potential for several new abilities. They're not mutant abilities, however. They're magical abilities, so I can't tell you exactly what they are."

"Guess I'll just have to figure it out as I go," Jamie said with a level of aplomb she didn't quite feel. "Lucky I'm gonna be at one of the best schools for magic in the world."

"You're not fooling me, little girl." Sirius crossed his arms and shook his head. "I know you too well. You have to be terrified."

"Yeah, Padfoot," she admitted. "I'm scared. This whole thing is freaky. I feel like I got a joy buzzer going off in my chest. Every part of me is tingling. You didn't raise me to panic, though. If I panic, I'll fall apart."

Wanda and Sirius pulled Jamie into a tight hug and didn't let go for several minutes as they all drew strength from each other.

When midnight finally arrived, Jamie was collapsed on the floor in a corner of the ballroom. Her head was on his leg and he was leaning against the corner. Both of them were sound asleep. Once again, Jamie had failed to make it to New Years, but this time she had a real good excuse.


	12. 12: Back to School

**Writer's Notes: I can barely believe I spent four chapters on Jamie's Christmas holiday. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I should note that while this is undeniably what is known as a super-Harry (as well as a Fem-Harry) story, the powers she absorbed from the six artifacts aren't going to manifest immediately. Most of them won't even show up in the course of this first of seven stories and she won't come into her full potential until she's an adult and has had a lot of training.**

 **Right now, all she has are new telepathic powers she can't quite control yet, increased telekinetic strength she probably won't discover in the course of this chapter and a slight increase in magical potential that will take years to reach full potency. By the way, the arrows she got in Chapter Ten won't come into play until Book Seven. They'll be kept in the Avengers vault until then.**

 **In this chapter, which was written in about forty eight hours, Jamie also investigates the forbidden section in the castle and goes a LOT further than just Fluffy. Given her abilities, it's not even a challenge. Figuring out what's going on without knowing what's being stored there, however, is another matter. I also have to consider what she will see when she looks into the Mirror of Erised for the first time. This is not Harry who was raised without love. Jamie has always been surrounded by people who love her. Yes, she misses her parents but it's not as consuming an issue as it was with Harry.**

 **By the way, I've also retroactively changed the name Jamie gives her Patronus in Chapter Six. It's now called Aslan, which in addition to the reference to the Chronicles of Narnia is the word for lion in Turkish (I believe and according to Google) and at least one other language. I think it's a much better name. It's also more fitting in light of my plans for future chapters and stories.**

 **Chapter Twelve: Back to School**

In the morning, the voices in her head woke Jamie in her bed at Avengers Mansion. She had vague memories of Padfoot and Wanda putting her to bed. The voices weren't exactly painful or even particularly loud, but they were persistent. She reached up carefully and touched the choker she was wearing. It was a gift from Tony designed to suppress her new telepathic powers until she could control them. She knew it had a small dial on the clasp in back that would control the power of the block, but decided to try something else first.

Sitting up in bed and crossing her legs, she tried meditating. After an enemy tried to mind control her two years earlier, Padfoot asked Professor Xavier to teach her how to defend her mind from unwanted intrusion. This wasn't exactly the same thing, but she figured the concept was close enough to give it a try. If it didn't work she could always turn up the suppressor later, but she figured she needed to learn to control her new powers on her own sooner or later anyway. Best not to put it off.

By the time she came down to breakfast, she was in control and only had to turn the choker up a little. "Morning, everyone."

She kissed Sirius, then Wanda, who asked the question on everyone's minds. "How are you feeling, honey?"

"I'm fine, Aunt Wanda," Jamie tried to assure her godparents and everyone else. "No side effects and the choker's working fine. It's time I built up my psychic shields, anyway."

"You're sure?" Sirius seemed less than convinced.

Jamie rolled her eyes affectionately. "Yes, Padfoot. I'm sure. The tingling, nausea and dizziness I had last night are all gone and I don't even have an urge to take over the world."

"Don't even joke about that, Jamie," Wanda warned. "At least two of the artifacts you absorbed have been known to cause megalomania in their users."

"Well, they're not doing that with me," Jamie promised. "So far, all I got is one increased power, my ability to sense magic, and two new ones, the absorption thing and the telepathy I got from absorbing the pendant. It is gonna be a real pit, though, if I can't touch anything magical without absorbing it. I mean, what about my wand?"

Sirius tried to put her mind at ease. "Dr. Strange assures us that the first absorption, when you tried to take the headdress and pendant off of Baron Blood was an accident. You wanted to take them and went a little further than you intended. You actually meant to absorb the other four artifacts. You need to be careful until you learn how this power works, but shouldn't need to worry about accidentally absorbing any more artifacts."

She gingerly reached for her wand and took it out without absorbing it. "That's a relief. I'm going back to Hogwarts in just two days and there are artifacts in just about every corner of that castle. I don't think Professor Dumbledore would be happy if they suddenly started disappearing."

Wanda nodded. "You'll be spending the next two days in Westchester, learning to control your telepathic powers with Professor Xavier and your cousin. They'll be taking you and Ron back to Britain on Sunday. As much as Sirius and I hate not being able to spend the rest of your vacation with you, the Avengers are going to have our hands full with the aftermath of last night and have everyone on call."

Jamie wasn't happy about that, but she understood.

"Don't worry, Kitten." Padfoot pulled her into a gentle hug. "We'll come by the mansion Saturday night to see you off good and proper. Meanwhile, Moony and Tonks will be going along to keep an eye on you for us."

Later that morning, Jamie and Ron loaded up for the trip to Westchester, then back to Hogwarts. In addition to his other Christmas gifts, Ron now had his own magic shielded laptop, which he was starting to learn to use and found quite wonderful, and Jamie had five more, one each for Hermione, Lavender, Parvati and her sister, Padma, all who asked for them, and one for Professor Flitwick, who was interested in possibly duplicating it. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and even Snape also had orders in, but the computers couldn't be mass produced yet. Tony assured her he'd have them sent to Hogwarts by the end of the month.

"By your second year," he promised her, "the Magical Technology Department will be up and running, we'll be starting mass production and at least half, if not all, of the students at Hogwarts will have these things. I'll be giving them out for free, of course, but once word gets out, people in the magical communities will be beating my door down to get them."

He added an admonishment. "By the way, be careful with the higher settings on that choker. Make sure you keep it on the minimum setting necessary. We're not a hundred percent sure what side effects there might be, but higher settings could cause confusion and lethargy, while there's a very slim chance that the highest setting could permanently damage your control and even cause brain damage. The lower settings, of course, should have no problems."

Her next two days at Westchester were a lot of hard work for Jamie. She already had the basics down, but Xavier and Jean were determined to have her trained by the time she left. It could have been a pain if she hadn't been almost as determined as they were. As it was, by Saturday night she was able to reduce the setting on the choker significantly. Even Xavier was quite pleased with her progress.

As promised, Wanda and Sirius showed up to say their farewells. They promised to bring Jamie back to America in April to get her brace properly removed and she promised to work hard in school. As expected, there were a lot of hugs and a few tears.

Sunday morning, Jamie and Ron boarded the Blackbird with Jean and Scott for the trip back. They even agreed to give Agatha Harkness a ride. A few hours later, they arrived in time to get unpacked and settled in and still be down in the main hall with the rest of the Gryffindors when dinner was served. The twins and Hermione, among several others, of course, wanted to know all the details of their grand adventure in America.

After dinner, Jamie and Ron were summoned to Professor McGonagall's office. They knew what for and were not looking forward to it.

"Miss Potter, Mr. Weasley," she began. "You have yet to serve your detentions for your adventures Halloween night. Potter, tomorrow, after dinner, you're to go to Hagrid's cabin to deal with the matter. Dress warmly. You'll be joined by Malfoy who just this morning earned a detention for another matter. At the same time, Mr. Weasley, you're to report to Madame Pince in the Library. I hope neither of you will make a habit out of this. That will be all."

"Yes, Professor," both said almost in stereo. "Thank you, Professor."

What more could they say? Regardless their reasons or motives, they knew they'd earned the detentions.

"What's the term the Americans use," Ron commented as they returned to the dorm. "Sucks to be you. Serving detention's bad enough . . . serving it with Malfoy is like a double punishment."

Jamie laughed. "It won't be so bad. It'll give me a chance to get him alone so I can take care of something."

His curiosity was viciously piqued. "What you have planned?"

She shrugged. "I just want to give him a Christmas present."

Ron looked at her like she was crazy, then remembered their shopping trip in Salem Center. "Oh. The lump of coal?"

"No," she told him. "I decided not to do that. I have something else in mind; a peace offering of a sort."

"A peace offering?" Now he really thought she was crazy. "For Draco?"

"Look." She frowned sternly. "I know Draco's a jerk; a regular prat. I know he deserved most of what we did to him, but I think we went a little overboard with the fig leaves, not to mention the green hair thing I did to him. I don't want to make the same mistakes as the original Marauders and I've been starting off on a bad foot."

"Same mistakes?"

"They made Professor Snape's life at Hogwarts hell. He may have deserved most of it and I'm told he often dished it out as much as he took it, but they started a feud that lasted more than fifteen years and is still just starting to heal. Padfoot has a lot of regrets over some of the things they did; so does Moony. I don't want that on my conscience when we get back together for our ten year reunion. Cap told me I should be better than that."

Ron nodded. "But Draco?"

"I'm not going to become his bosom buddy." Jamie slugged him playfully on the shoulder. "And I'm not going to stop putting him in his place when he does something stupid and racist. I just want to clear the air. I found this candy called a bag of coal. It's dark chocolate with crunchy bits. It's not a lot, just a gesture."

Ron still wasn't sure about it, but let the matter drop. It was Jamie's decision. He still didn't think it would do any good, however.

By the time she had to head out to the cabin, Jamie still wasn't sure what Draco had done to earn a detention. She knew it involved some kind of shenanigans on the train back the previous morning and was probably related to the black eye he was now sporting, but no one was admitting responsibility. Hermione, however, seemed just a little bit smug. The fact that she had some small scratches and slight bruising on the knuckles of her right hand, of course, didn't hurt Jamie's hypothesis.

Hagrid and Draco were waiting when she arrived and Hagrid looked more concerned than she'd seen him in all the years she'd known him. "How well c'n ya get around in that thing, Jamie?"

"As well as you can on those two huge legs of yours," she assured him, "better, actually. The chair can fly short distances to get over stuff that would block someone walking."

She cocked her head. "What's up?"

"Someone's killin' unicorns in my forest." His disgust was evident. "Been happenin' since Halloween; 'bout one a week."

"Why should we care about a bunch of dumb animals?" Draco sneered.

"You shouldn't," Jamie said before Hagrid could speak up. "You're here to serve detention. That means you do what he tells you to whether you believe in it or not. Now get over it."

She turned back to Hagrid. "What do you want us to do?"

"Whatever's doin' this should attack again t'night," Hagrid told them. "Th' unicorns in th' forest like t' graze at night in a clearin' 'bout a quarter mile down that path over there. I want ya t' take Fang an' go take a look. He c'n lead ya to 'em an' they won't run from ya like they would from us. I'll take Draco an' follow a ways back. If ya see somethin' call out an' we'll come runnin'. I know ya c'n take care o' y'rself, but ya ain't t' be takin' no chances."

He paused. "Ya shouldn't be in any danger. Somethin' that's resortin' to feedin' off unicorn blood is a pretty pathetic creature an' no threat t' th' likes o' you. Still, don't be playin' hero out there. Ya see somethin' call f'r help."

"Got it." Jamie nodded a little too enthusiastic for Hagrid's taste.

"I mean it, Jamie." Hagrid stared her down sternly, but affectionately. "Don't be takin' no risks. Y'r godmother'd have m' head on a pike if'n I got ya hurt."

Jamie rolled her eyes. "I got it, Hagrid. Get a look and don't take chances. No heroics allowed. I had about all the heroics I can handle over the holidays, anyway."

With that, Jamie headed into the forest. She had lights on her chair, but she didn't turn them on. She could see just fine in the dark. She still sensed the magic long before she could see anything; both the powerful light magic of the unicorns and the dark taint of something else; something familiar.

"Voldemort," she hissed then screamed as she entered the clearing. "Voldemort!"

The creature about to pounce on a young unicorn before her was only marginally human and quite translucent. There was no doubt in her mind that it was the same creature she sensed in Quirrell on Halloween night and encountered once before on another Halloween night ten years earlier. Anger like she had never felt before boiled in her soul. This was the monster that killed her parents.

"You!" The shade whispered angrily. "I'll destroy you. I'll destroy everything you hold dear."

A bolt of pure chaos erupted from her whole body and would have destroyed the creature, but Voldemort saw the energy building up and wisely apported at the last instant. He wasn't ready to face Jamie quite yet.

When Hagrid and Draco caught up with her, the unicorns had fled and Jamie was sitting there tears of rage rolling down her cheek, but otherwise miraculously unharmed. Residual chaos energy still flickered around the area in a multi-colored light show as small poltergeist effects danced around the clearing.

"Jamie!" Hagrid called out in concern.

"It was Voldemort," Jamie told him, finally beginning to rein in her rage. "He was here. He's the one that's been feeding on the unicorns."

"No longer." A voice called out from the bushes as a group of centaurs armed with swords and spears emerged.

"Firenze," Hagrid greeted their leader.

"Hagrid." The centaur nodded greeting then turned to Jamie. "Child of Chaos, you are certain the creature you stopped from carrying out its intentions this night was the Dark Lord?"

"It was him, alright," Jamie told them. "What's left of him, anyway."

Firenze nodded. "We will move the unicorn herd away from this area. The shade will find no more sustenance from that source."

With that, the centaurs turned and left as Hagrid turned to the two kids. "We need t' be talkin' t' Perfessor Dumbledore about this an' that's fer certain."

Jamie nodded silently, not yet realizing the significance of the other thing that happened this night. For the first time, she unleashed her chaos magic without nearly killing herself. When she had time to think clearly, she would be truly impressed. It was a major accomplishment

Later that night, as they left Dumbledore's office to return to their respective dorms, Jamie finally had a chance to deal with the other matter of the night.

"Hey, Draco."

"What?" He turned to her with a mix of hatred and fear bordering on terror.

"Got something for you." She tossed him the bag of candy. "Merry Christmas."

He caught the bag, but then eyed it suspiciously. "What's this?"

"Candy," she told him. "It's a Christmas thing in the No Maj world. Call it a peace offering."

"What are you up to?" He was still cautious.

"Nothing," she assured him. "I swear. I just realize I've been a bit hard on you. You had most of it coming, but a couple of the things I was involved in went too far. I may not like you much and I'm still gonna knock you down a peg or two when you start dishing that racist crap again, but I don't want to make the same mistake with you that the Marauders did with Professor Snape. I don't want fifteen plus years of bad blood. Just sayin'."

With that, she left, but he called after her. "What does this mean?"

She didn't turn back. "You're a smart kid. Figure it out."

When she returned to the Gryffindor dorm, Ron and Hermione were waiting for her. They had tons of questions, but she wasn't ready to answer them just yet.

"Marauders meeting tomorrow night in the Room of Requirement. Spread the word, but don't tell Professor Harkness. She doesn't need to know what I'm planning. Right now, I just want to go to bed and get some sleep. It's been a long day."

When Jamie woke up Tuesday morning, the reality hit her. She actually fired off a blast of pure chaos more powerful than either of the ones that put her in the hospital and wasn't even scratched; a blast that would have done her godmother proud. She was still a little freaked by the encounter, but something deep inside her was jumping for joy. She couldn't wait to tell the others.

"Hagrid had me help him find out what's been killing unicorns for the past two months," she told the other First Years and a few other interested Marauders, like the twins, at breakfast. "It was Voldemort. I saw him and kinda went ballistic. I fired off a blast of chaos energy that could have leveled a good portion of the forest if it hadn't been specifically targeted at him and not even a scratch. If he hadn't gotten out of there just before I cut loose, he'd be dead now."

"Wicked," Ron lamented. "You get to have all the adventures. All Madame Pince had me doing was shelving books and polishing trophies in the display case."

"Of the six artifacts I absorbed," Jamie said ignoring Ron's comment, "I think Merlin's Robe was most likely behind this, but I could be wrong. Dr. Strange said it magnified the wearer's potential and supposedly contained the secrets of lost spells. I haven't mysteriously figured out any new spells, but I think this counts as an increase in power. I'll ask Professor Harkness as soon as I get the chance."

By this point, the others were so jaded by Jamie's abilities and life that absorbing six powerful magical artifacts was barely a blip on their radar. Amazing what people could get used to given enough time and exposure.

The rest of the day passed quietly, but Jamie had trouble concentrating. She didn't even get a chance to talk to Professor Harkness. She needed to tell her that magic was coming much more easily for her now; almost too easily. Her mind, however, was focused on her plans; plans that would only start with the Marauders meeting.

By the time the now more than thirty Marauders, minus their faculty advisor, gathered in the Room of Requirement, Jamie was practically bursting at the seams with anticipation.

"It's no longer a theory," she told them. "Voldemort is alive . . . after a sort. I ran into him while serving my detention with Mr. Hagrid last night. He's some kind of shade and was feeding off of unicorn blood, of all things. He got away, but I did manage to stop him. The centaurs took the unicorns deeper into the forest where they should be safe from him. Important thing is he's alive and he hasn't left since losing his vessel in Professor Quirrell after Halloween."

She paused. "There has to be a reason he's risking hanging around here and I'm sure it has something to do with whatever they're hiding on the third floor."

"Please tell me you aren't intending to go there," Hermione interrupted her. "Please tell me that's not your plan."

Jamie smiled. "You know me so well, Mione. That's exactly what I'm planning. If we're going to stop him, we need to know what he's after. The teachers won't tell us. They think they're protecting us. I know there's something down there. I feel it in my gut. If I'm wrong, no harm. I don't intend to touch anything. I'm going to be intangible the whole time. I'm also going to be invisible, so there's no way anyone is going to catch me. I want you guys to wait here. Work on . . . work on martial training. Wood, as the senior student here and one of the best hand to hand people, you're in charge until I get back."

She paused. "If I'm not back before curfew, find Professor Harkness and let her know what I was doing. Just a safeguard. It won't come to that. I shouldn't be gone more than thirty minutes on the outside."

That said, she became invisible, left her chair behind and floated down through the floor. She made a beeline for the forbidden hallway. She only vaguely remembered coming there the night she was high on catnip, but there was only one visible door in the whole section.

Floating through the wall, she again encountered the massive three headed dog. This time it was asleep and didn't even stir when she floated in. Looking around, there were no paintings that could have hidden doors; no statues or suits of armor; nothing but a barren room and a sleeping Cerberus. Then she noticed the hatch in the floor beneath one Fluffy's massive paws.

 _Down it is,_ she said silently to herself as she floated down through the floor.

The room below was filled with moving vines; a single plant by the looks of it, but not one Jamie recognized off the top of her head. She figured Hermione would know what it was, but no matter. It couldn't touch her and the path from this room was clear there was a single door.

Floating through the wall again, avoiding the actual doors for a variety of reasons, Jamie entered a third chamber with several brooms leaning against the wall and what had to be a hundred keys with gossamer wings flying around randomly.

"Okay," she said aloud this time. "Seeing a pattern here. The dog was probably supplied by Hagrid with his love of all things bestial and monstrous. The plant has to be from Professor Sprout's garden. The charms on those keys have to be Professor Flitwick's work. Bet the door's locked . . . obviously. No matter. I don't need to worry about a key."

Flying through the wall again she entered a room dominated by a massive chess set. Jamie recognized a wizard's chess set when she saw one; even if the figures weren't animated at the moment. She figured Professor McGonagall must have supplied this one. Animating objects was a powerful transfiguration.

The black king and queen were blocking the exit, so she just flew through them and into the next room, which had a table with three potions and a note. She didn't even need to read the note to recognize Professor Snape's touch, but flew intangibly through the wall into a large stadium like chamber with a standing mirror in the middle of it.

Flying around the room, she saw nothing else, so she decided to take a look in the mirror. Although she remained invisible, she still saw her reflection there; that and a whole lot more. She was older and wearing a superhero costume. All the heroes she knew were gathered around her and looking at her with pride. Padfoot, Wanda and the others were there; so were her parents who seemed the proudest of all of them. A newspaper banner above it all read: "Pooka and the Avengers Save the World . . . Again!"

"Okay," she said aloud again, "That's just too cool, but what does it have to do with anything? It can't be showing the future. My parents are dead. I don't see how it could be what all the rest are here to guard. There's nowhere further to go. It has to have something to do with what they're hiding, but what . . . ."

She smiled thoughtfully. "The others had to be set up by various teachers and staff. This one has Professor Dumbledore written all over it. How do I pit my little mind against one of the smartest and wisest wizards in the history of the world? Then again, I'm probably not supposed to. That's why it's here."

After a little more searching to make sure she wasn't missing something, she finally sighed and teleported back to the Room of Requirement where the others were waiting for her. She'd been gone less than fifteen minutes.

"So," Hermione immediately left sparring with Hannah. "Did you learn anything worth the risk you just took?"

"I'm not sure," was Jamie's honest answer. "There's this huge three headed dog with its paw on a trapdoor. I'm pretty sure that test was set up by Mr. Hagrid. Beneath that there's some kind of plant that's a mass or writhing vines. That suggests Professor Sprout. Next was a room with hundreds of flying keys; a charm Professor Flitwick would be proud of. Then a room with a giant wizard's chess set; Professor McGonagall, obviously. After that was a room with a table and three potions."

"Professor Snape," Parvati offered.

Jamie nodded. "I avoided all of them easily enough, but the last room has me stumped. There was a small auditorium. In the middle of it was a floor mirror. Even though I was invisible, I saw a reflection; me as a superhero with everyone, including my parents, looking on with pride after I saved the world."

"Some kind of divination?" Someone suggested.

"My parents were there," she told them, "so it couldn't have been showing the future."

"Probably," Hermione said finally, "some kind of wish fulfillment. We all know you want to be a superhero when you get older. Having your parents looking on proudly would be the only thing that would make it even greater. It showed you your greatest wish and fondest dream. There are several artifacts that do that."

"That's what I figured." Jamie nodded again. "It had to be set up by Professor Dumbledore himself. It was the final test and the only one I couldn't get around. I peeked through the walls of the chamber and found nothing, just a bunch of unconnected rooms and hallways . . . and what I think may have been the Hufflepuff common room. I even tried to reach into the mirror and only reached through it."

She shrugged. "I'm more convinced than ever that there's something there and it's probably some kind of artifact like the others he had his people steal and he wants it bad enough that he's willing to risk hiding out this close to Professor Dumbledore. I even have a list of the thirteen artifacts he's already stolen, but if they give a hint to what he's looking for here, I'm missing it."

"Let me have the list and do some research," Hermione offered finally. "If Professor Dumbledore set this up, the key has to be somewhere; maybe something in his past that the person who's supposed to claim this thing would know. Who knows?"

"Thanks, Hermione," Jamie hugged her friend.

"Don't thank me yet." Hermione laughed. "I may not find anything. It's a long shot at best."

Jamie laughed as well. "Padfoot always says, better a long shot than no shot."

That night, Lucius Malfoy arrived at Hogwarts; ostensibly to see his son, which he did before carrying out his real mission. If Jamie had seen him, she would have recognized the man Sirius fought nearly ten years earlier. He promised Professors Snape and Dumbledore that he would keep Draco up past curfew and could see himself out when he was finished with his visit. Therefore, no one was looking for him as he creeped through the halls of the castle just after curfew.

He moved quietly, but with an attitude that wouldn't attract the attention of any of the paintings or other watchers he passed. When he reached the haunted bathroom, which had been rebuilt, fortunately without exposing what was beneath it, he turned the faucets on one of the sinks in a certain way and the passage down to the Chamber of Secrets opened.

Untold feet below the castle, he entered the massive vault. When he saw the sleeping basilisk, he had an involuntary intake of breath and subconsciously touched the stump of his right arm. If the monster awoke, he was most likely a dead man. He knew this going in, but the commands of the Dark Lord were not to be disobeyed.

"Master," he whispered. "I have come. I bring the artifact you've requested."

"Welcome, my faithful acolyte." The shade rose slowly from the body of the mercifully still sleeping creature.

Lucius Malfoy knelt to one knee, reached into his jacket and produced a book. "Excerpts from the Darkhold, Lord Voldemort. As ordered, I have let none open, much less study it."

"Excellent." Voldemort nodded. "The brat has managed to deny me access to the blood of unicorns on which I was feeding since the loss of Quirrell. She grows more powerful by the day; particularly since that debacle in New York."

Malfoy nodded silently, letting Voldemort continue. "You advised against the use of the vampire, Baron Blood. Perchance I should have listened. We'll never know."

Voldemort paused. "Nothing to be done about it now except to learn from our mistakes. The loss of the six artifacts is unfortunate, but not crippling. Only the headdress and the amulet played any major role in my plans. The others were little more than power sources and, in the case of Merlin's Robes, a font of information. No matter, the information supplied more willingly by this tome and the Staff of Damballah are much more useful and appropriate to my plans. Merlin was too much a force of light to be of much more than passing value to us."

Malfoy nodded tacit agreement; something he didn't quite feel, but you didn't disagree with the Dark Lord if you valued your life.

"The loss of the six, however," Voldemort continued, "makes obtaining the Philosopher's Stone all the more integral. The Chariot of Doumu and the Staff of Damballah, particularly if used in conjunction, can reunite my spirit and body, but only the Stone can enable me to recreate my body."

"Cassius swears that the Stone is beyond stealing, Master," Malfoy reported. "The pathetic creature is a coward, but in this case, I fear he may be correct. No one outside the castle would have a chance of obtaining the artifact."

Voldemort nodded. "That is why I am still here, hiding like a common thief. It is also why a instructed you to bring me the book. Legend says that there is a spell therein that will enable me to draw energy from such a magical structure or locii and in time even subvert it to my own purposes. With the power of Hogwarts itself to draw on, I'll soon no longer need the bodies of thralls or the blood of unicorns. I'll have the power to take what I have decided is mine, discredit my erstwhile teacher and kill the brat who is responsible for my current state."

He paused his ranting long enough to give Malfoy his marching orders. "Tell the others to be ready, our time will soon be upon us."

"What of Macnair and his group?" Lucius asked.

"Don't worry about him." Voldemort turned on his lackey. "He too acts upon my orders. Concern yourself with your own group and let him deal with his. It is enough for the both of you to serve me. These petty squabbles displease me greatly.

Malfoy swallowed loudly. "As you command, Master."

"You may leave now, Lucius," Voldemort said finally dismissing him. "You have served me well this night."

With that, Lucius Malfoy left the Chamber, made his way up to the castle, then out and eventually off the grounds where he was able to apport home. The Dark Lord was becoming more and more difficult to deal with, but Lucius was no fool. Even in his weakened state it was death to cross Lord Voldemort. All he could do was wait and continue to serve.

That night, Jamie tossed fitfully, having trouble sleeping for some time before exhaustion finally took her. When she did sleep, she had a terrible nightmare and woke screaming, soaked in sweat. Lavender, Parvati and Hermione ran quickly to her side.

"Are you okay?" Parvati asked.

"What happened?" Lavender added.

Hermione didn't ask any questions, but instead poured Jamie a glass of water from a nearby pitcher. Jamie took the glass gratefully with hands that still shook from the dream and drank it down.

"Sorry," she told the others. "I had a dream."

"Was it one of those dreams?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean?" Both the other girls asked simultaneously.

"Since Halloween," Jamie told them, using the time to gather her thoughts and try to recall the images, "My intuition, which has always been more dependable than most, has been a lot more accurate and detailed. It isn't precognition; more hyper-cognition. The things I see aren't from the future, they're things happening right now. Normally, they're things my subconscious mind picked up on that my conscious mind missed. This one was different."

"Different?" Hermione sat down on the bed next to Jamie. "How?"

"What did you see?" Parvati asked as she and Lavender were already sitting on Jamie's bed.

"I saw a man," she told them. "All I can remember about him is that he had white hair, but there was something familiar about him. I just can't place it. He was in this huge chamber with a lot of stone and puddles of stagnant water. I've never seen the place, but I get a feeling it's close; really close. He was talking to a snake; a giant snake. They were talking about subverting the castle."

She paused. "I couldn't have sensed any of this, subconsciously or not. I think the castle was warning me."

Lavender was skeptical. "The castle isn't alive or intelligent."

"Isn't it?" Hermione told them. "It's stood for centuries. It was built by the four founders of Hogwarts and has been home to the school from the beginning. That's a lot of magic to flow through these walls. We already know that inanimate objects can absorb magic. That's how artifacts are made and many of them gain a kind of sentience of their own. How else do you explain things like the Room of Requirement that can respond to and shape itself to fit the needs of each given person? That takes a kind of intelligence in itself."

"It's way too late for this deep of a conversation." Jamie tried to smile and almost succeeded. "We have Defense against the Dark Arts first class tomorrow. I'll tell Professor Harkness about the dream. If anyone can figure it out, she can."


	13. 13: Stones and Dragons

**Writer's Notes: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out. I've been working pretty heavily on my own projects for the past several months. I even managed to publish two books. They're available on Amazon and Kindle. The titles are "Hypers, Book One: New Eden" and "Resistance: Hypers, Book Two" by C T Whitley. Shameless plug: If you enjoy my fanfic, give my professional works a try. I can use all the sales and feedback I can get.**

 **As of Chapter Twelve, I've unified my spelling of Death Eaters into the canonical two word version instead of the one word, Deatheaters, I was using. Not a big change, but one worth noting. With Quirrell out of the picture and given the changes in Voldemort's status, I was going to completely drop Hagrid's adventures with the dragon egg, but decided not to do that. The whole thing is so integral to the canon first book that it needs to be covered in this parallel.**

 **This chapter also sees the return of Jasper Carlisle; bet you thought I'd forgotten all about him. He's been operating in the background this whole time and getting very frustrated. He'll be a recurring problem for Jamie throughout the seven books of this series. Even more in future books than in this one.**

 **Chapter Thirteen: "Stones and Dragons"**

The next few weeks slipped relatively quietly into a month and then into two. Before they knew it, spring was breaking and Hogwarts was beginning to thaw. Dr. MacTaggart visited weekly to check on Jamie's progress. By the first week in March, she declared it safe to remove the brace. Jamie couldn't wait. She didn't know what she'd expected, but being barely able to move her legs wasn't anywhere close.

"Surely ya weren't thinking ya'd be walkin' outta here as soon as the brace was off," Moira challenged her suddenly dejected patient. "Lass, ya been in that brace for three months and in a chair for two more before that. Y'r muscles have atrophied. Ya need t' build 'em up again. 'Twill take time."

"I don't want it to take time," Jamie grumped.

Moira laughed. "Sad t' be you then, Jamie, because it will. Don't rush it. You're young. You'll bounce back pretty quick. Just let your wee body do its job."

At the moment, Jamie didn't have time to worry about such things. Hagrid had invited Jamie and Ron to his cabin this afternoon. He said he had something to show them. He seemed very excited.

The small home was extremely hot. Hagrid had the fireplace stoked to full power and had what looked to all the world like a large egg sitting in the flames.

"Is that what I think it is, Hagrid," Jamie asked horrified.

"'Tis a dragon's egg," the massive man responded almost casually. "A Norwegian Ridgeback, t' be exact. Ain't it beautiful?"

Ron was in shock, but Jamie sighed. "Hagrid, dragons aren't pets. Remus studied them and told me all about them. They can't be, what's the word, domesticated."

"Balderdash." Hagrid removed the egg from the flames with a pair of tongs and placed in in a large cast iron skillet on the table. "Just no one's ever tried; not raisin' one from an egg, at least. I always loved dragons an' always wanted t' have one."

"Aren't there laws against that?" Ron asked. "Me brother, Charlie, works with dragons in Romania. They got a whole preserve for 'em in th' middle o' nowhere and still haveta obliviate a few dozen muggles a year who see stuff they shouldn't."

That's when the egg cracked, then cracked some more. In moments a small winged scaly creature crawled out and hocked a small fireball at Hagrid, catching his beard on fire.

"See," he said proudly as he patted out the flames. "He thinks I'm his mommy."

"How'd you get your hands on a dragon's egg in the first place, Hagrid?" Jamie asked, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at the "mommy" comment.

"I was havin' a pint at th' Hog's Head tavern down in Hogsmeade when this feller asks t' join me. Never met him before, but seems he'd heard o' me before an' wanted t' talk 'bout magical animals with a fellow fan of 'em.

"We talked f'r a while. He was real interested in what animals I was workin' with right now an' stuff. Seemed like a real nice feller.

"When I asked him 'bout th' animals he's been workin' with, he tol' me 'bout his dragon's egg. Seems he just got it, but he's a travelin' sort as can't devote th' time t' raisin' a baby. I tol' him I could take care o' it an' he gave it to me.

"Anyway, we talked 'til he hadta catch th' next train. Made me promise t' give li'l Norbert here, that's what I'm gonna call him, a good home."

As Hagrid told the story, Norbert was crawling around taking annoyed nips at anything that got too close to his mouth. At least there weren't any more flames. As she watched the creature and listened to her friend, Jamie began to get a bad feeling deep in the pit of her stomach; one of those feelings that even worried the Avengers.

"Hagrid," she asked hesitantly. "Did you tell him about the three headed dog you have on the third floor of the castle?"

"How'd ye know 'bout Fluffy?" The gentle giant raised a massive eyebrow.

"I met him the night of the catnip episode." She didn't exactly lie, but neither did she tell the whole story. "Did you tell this man about Fluffy?"

"It came up," Hagrid admitted. "He was right curious 'bout how I kept a full growed Cerberus under control. I tol' him it was no problem once ye knew the beastie's weakness. In Fluffy's case, it's music. Puts him right t' sleep."

He froze. "I shouldn't be tellin' ye that."

Jamie sighed. "Hagrid, you're one of my best friends; more like a big furry uncle, but we have to tell Professor Dumbledore about this. Having that baby dragon here could put the whole school in danger. They wouldn't just hold you at fault, but him too, because it happened under his watch."

Hagrid's face fell. "Hadn't thought o' that. Figured I could keep Norbert hidden an' no one'd be any th' wiser. But y'r right, Jamie. We gotta tell him. He'll make me give Norbert up."

Jamie gently patted the shoulder of her massive friend. The man had a heart as big as the planet, but he didn't always think things through. He wasn't stupid by any means, but tended to lead with his emotions.

"Let's talk to Professor Dumbledore," Jamie suggested. "He'll know what to do."

Leaving Norbert in a very large birdcage Hagrid bought for him, Jamie and Ron followed their large friend back into the castle, then up the stairs behind a certain suit of armor and up to Dumbledore's office and quarters.

"I think someone wants whatever you have hidden on the third floor behind Fluffy and all the other tests."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I know how you learned about Fluffy. You stumbled across him under the influence of catnip. How did you learn about the other tests?"

She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Her first idea was to lie, but she'd never been able to successfully lie to Albus Dumbledore. He had this ability to see right through her. Hanging her head, she fessed up and waited for the worst.

He frowned, more disappointed than angry, but still displeased. "You violated my direct orders, Jamie. Regardless your powers, you could have been hurt. What those tests are designed to guard is none of your business. I should expel you. What you did was that bad."

"Fifty points from Gryffindor." His voice felt like a judge's gavel falling.

"But . . . ." She started, but stopped and shook her head.

She wanted to cry. It wasn't even the points. She had disappointed and even hurt a man who was like a grandfather to her. She was so ashamed.

"In addition to shielding the area against ghosts and the like, something I should have done from the beginning, I'm also going to have to put an enchantment on you preventing you from using your intangibility, invisibility, teleportation or flight for the remainder of the school year. You've abused them, so it's time to feel what it's like to lose them. Let it teach you a lesson."

"I'm sorry, sir," she said meekly.

His tone softened just the tiniest bit. "I know you are, Jamie, but that doesn't change what you did. I'll be contacting Wanda and Sirius about this. What punishments they decide to impose in addition to mine will be up to them."

A few moments later, the enchantment was cast and Dumbledore dismissed the pair. "You two need to leave now. I have to deal with the matter of Hagrid and his dragon."

Outside, Ron, who had been surprisingly quiet, finally spoke. "A . . . are you okay, Jamie?"

"Okay?" Tears finally flooded her eyes. "I'm crippled. How would you feel if someone cut off your right arm?"

She knew she was starting to take it out on him and stopped. "Look, Ron. I just need to be alone for a while. I need to think. Figure out how I'm going to deal with this. I . . . I just want to be alone."

With that, she sped her chair away from him and quickly disappeared around a corner. Ron shook his head and let her go. He didn't know what else to do. He needed to find Hermione. She'd know. She always knew.

After looking in the library, he found Hermione in the Gryffindor common room, curled up in a chair reading a book. She looked up and immediately read him like a book.

"What's wrong?"

"Jamie's in trouble." He told her the story. "Professor Dumbledore took fifty points from Gryffindor and put an enchantment on her blocking some of her powers for the rest of the school year. She can't go intangible or invisible and she can't teleport or fly. She's taking it really hard and I don't know what to do."

"Fifty points?" Hermione was in shock. That had to be one of the largest penalties ever assigned in the history of the school.

"Do you know where she went? She asked, recovering her priorities quickly.

"No." He looked even more worried. "She just said she wanted to be alone and took off, but I don't think she should be alone right now."

"Wait here," she told him. "I think I know how to find her."

Hermione ran up to the room she shared with Jamie and the other first year girls. Rifling through the bureau beside Jamie's bed, she quickly found the Marauder Map. Laying it on the bed, she tapped it with her wand and said the incantation.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map unfolded as she thought how that wasn't exactly a lie. She was kind of up to no good, looking for someone who wanted to be left alone whether it was for their own good or not.

Searching the map quickly, she found Jamie, then tapped the map again. "Mischief managed."

Returning the folded map back to the bureau, she rushed back out to Ron. "She's up on the Astronomy Tower."

"How did you find that out so fast?"

Since Jamie hadn't told Ron about the map, Hermione wasn't about to. "I have my ways. Let's go."

Up on top of the tower, Jamie sat crying miserably; as much for disappointing Dumbledore and her godparents as for the loss of her powers. It had been so easy when she was doing it. She hadn't considered the possible ramifications. That was her problem, she rarely if ever did.

When Ron and Hermione reached the top of the stairs, she struggled to stop crying, wiped her eyes and blew her nose, but otherwise ignored them. It wasn't until Hermione walked up and squeezed her shoulder that she acknowledged them.

"'M okay," she lied. "Just wanna be left alone."

"Merlin's bunions." Hermione exclaimed. "What kind of friends would we be if we left you alone right now?"

Jamie bit back a retort, but when Hermione hugged her, the dam burst and she was crying again as her friend held her and Ron sat awkwardly nearby, not sure what to do.

"You'll be okay, Jamie," Hermione promised her friend after a few minutes of letting her cry. "You still have your telekinesis and telepathy; your strength and agility and reflexes; your senses; your claws. You still have your magic. You're still the toughest, best trained kid in this school."

Jamie tried to smile and almost succeeded, but not quite. "I know, Mione. I'm not crying because of that. I mean I was at first, but I cost the House fifty points. Now Slytherin will win the House Cup . . . again. They'll all have a good laugh and the other Gryffindors may never forgive me.

"Worse, I disappointed Professor Dumbledore. Now he's mad at me. Professor McGonagall will be mad too when she finds out. Padfoot and Wanda and the Avengers and Jean and all my friends will be upset too. I disappointed all of them because I was too curious and didn't consider what could happen if I went where I knew I wasn't supposed go."

"That's not true." Hermione insisted. "Yeah, Slytherin will probably win the House Cup again and be insufferable for a few days. Who cares what they think? They're all a bunch of prats. The other kids in Gryffindor will be mad, but they'll forgive you. Even if they stay mad the rest of the year, you'll still have Ron and me. We'll never be mad at you. You're our friend."

Ron finally spoke up. "Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall will both forgive you. So will your family and that's what the Avengers are; your family. Yeah, you messed up, but family can forgive a lot."

"We messed up," Hermione corrected. "I don't recall any of us trying that hard to stop her. Not even I did anything but say a few words. I could have threatened to tell Professor Harkness if you didn't stop. I thought of it, but I was as curious as you about what was in there."

"That wouldn't have stopped me," Jamie admitted, grateful for their words of encouragement. "I'd just have waited and gone later. The problem is when I want to do something, there's no stopping me."

"Doesn't change the fact that we could have tried and we didn't." Hermione insisted. "Makes us as guilty as you; all of us. We all deserve a share of that fifty points."

"No," Jamie interrupted her. "You don't and I want you to drop that line of thought completely right now. You are NOT going to take responsibility for my screw up."

Hermione let it drop.

Jasper Carlisle thought he'd finally gotten a break. He'd spent the whole school year looking for a way to get Jamie Potter out of Hogwarts, or at least get the fae curse she seemed to love so much removed. Preferably both, because even without the fae abilities, she was still a mutant, which to his way of thinking was almost as bad. It was even possible that the two were so closely linked as to be inextricable.

When the Halloween debacle occurred, he even managed to convince Minister Fudge to issue a change of custody order that would have given the Ministry a lot more control over the child. They hadn't expected the girl herself to show up backed by Dumbledore, Harkness and Maximoff. Her power was frightening. Her attitude even more so.

Unfortunately, their argument swayed enough votes on the panel that Fudge suspended the hearing pending further information rather than face losing the vote. At least if they forced her to make good on her threat to leave England she would be Ilvermorny's problem, not theirs.

That was followed up by her theatrics in America on New Year. Word in the magical community was that those fools on the Avengers were actually crediting her with helping save the day. Now even those annoying, interfering muggles in WHO were in her pocket. They never liked or supported the Ministry anyway.

Someday they'd need to be taught to respect their betters. In the meantime, Minister Fudge had to tread lightly around them. Muggles interfering in Ministry matters was almost as bad as fae or other non-humans involving themselves. In some ways it was worse.

Now, there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel. A few days earlier, Argus Filch reported that Dumbledore himself had just applied a fifty point penalty to his own house on behalf of his golden child. That big of a point loss was almost unheard of. Unfortunately, Filch had no idea what she did to earn such a punishment, but it must have been something major.

Dumbledore even imposed an enchantment blocking her access to several of her freakish powers through the end of the year. If only they could make that enchantment permanent.

It was the first chink they'd been able to find in the wall of protection around the girl. If she lost the Headmaster's support, she'd be vulnerable and Minister Fudge could move in to control her. Failing in that, maybe it would be enough to get rid of her.

Given the combination of the Halloween disaster, the New Year battle and whatever just happened, the case could be made that Jamie Potter was a trouble magnet and too much of a danger to the other students. It wouldn't get her kicked out, but maybe they could prevent her from being welcomed back next year.

It was definitely something to be looked into, then taken to the Minister. The more he thought about it the more he realized that getting Jamie Potter banned from England could just be the best of all options.

The few days weren't easy on Jamie. She was getting the cold shoulder from the other Gryffindors and snide gratitude from the Slytherins. Worse, she had to take it. The teachers were watching her too closely and she didn't want to disgrace Gryffindor any more than she already had.

Then she hit on a solution. The next time Draco tried to bait her, she stepped up and whispered in his ear. He turned white as a sheet and stumbled off. From that point, the rest of his House left her alone. In fact, they were downright in fear of her.

"What did you say to Draco," Ron asked later.

Jamie actually smiled for the first time since her punishment started. "I just mentioned a few rules he broke recently and reminded him that I was still a telepath. I also suggested he share that information with the rest of his House."

"Now that's the Jamie I know." Ron laughed. "Welcome back."

"We have less than three months left on the year," she told him soberly. "I'm going to be little miss perfect student until it's over. No rules breaking; not even rules bending. Just attending class, studying and then taking my finals. Let the teachers see I've learned my lesson.

"Tell the others that the Marauders are on hiatus until the beginning of next school year. Then we'll be back with a vengeance."

"What about whatever they're hiding on the third level? Are you going to forget about that?"

"Professor Dumbledore shielded the area from intangibles and ghosts. Voldemort can't get in there. Dumbledore knows what he's doing. I trust him. We all should."

"Aren't you curious what it is?"

She laughed. "Of course I am, you ninny. Hermione's still researching it. She'll find out. I trust her, too. Then we'll know. Even if she doesn't, I'll ask Professor D about it next year. Once it's no longer in the school, I'm sure he'll tell me what it was."

That's when Hermione walked up. "The Philosopher's Stone."

Jamie turned. "How'd you know we were talking about that?"

Hermione blinked. "You were? I just figured it out and came to tell you. You were really talking about it just now?"

"Yeah." Jamie nodded. "So, the Philosopher's Stone. I guess that makes sense. I read about it; the children's stories mainly, but I asked Padfoot if it was real and he told me it was. Has a lot of uses; turning other metals into gold, granting immortality, probably a lot more."

Hermione was busting at the seams. "It can also be used to create a homunculus from a person's DNA; a soulless exact duplicate of them. Hair, skin, blood, finger nails; just about anything will do.

"When Professor Dumbledore was younger, he apprenticed with Nicholas Flamel, the Stone's last recorded owner, and his wife, Perenelle. I remembered that from the cards we found in those chocolate frogs you bought on the train.

"We knew someone, obviously a good friend, asked the Professor to guard something for him; something powerfully magical. The Stone is the only artifact that I can find that he's been connected with that even comes close to fitting the bill. When I read about it, I knew it was the one.

"Two of the other artifacts on the list you gave me can return a recently killed person's soul to their body; the Staff of Damballah and the Chariot of Duomu. What neither of them, nor to the best of my knowledge, any of the other artifacts on the list can do is create a body for the soul to be put into.

"Now the Staff of Damballah, the Pages from the Darkhold and Merlin's Robe, which you absorbed, all grant the wielder access to unique spells, but unless one of them has that particular spell, he's not getting a new body without the Stone.

"Creating a homunculus is a tough enough ritual, but one that's an exact genetic duplicate of the creator; I bet not even Professor Harkness could pull that one off without it.

Jamie's mind was racing so fast it hurt. Connections were forming at rapid pace; connections that should have been impossible. She was also finally remembering some dreams that had been haunting her since shortly after her return from the holidays.

"Hermione, you remember that nightmare I had about a week after we all returned to school?"

"Yeah. You said you were going to talk to Professor Harkness about it."

"I never did. I kinda forgot about it; wrote it off as just a bad dream. Thing is, I've been having more dreams like that; only I haven't remembered them until just now. I think I know what it all means and we have to tell Professor Dumbledore. We need to find one of the teachers."

Their first idea was to find Agatha, but she holding class and they didn't want to interrupt her. Along the way, however, they ran into Professor McGonagall.

"Professor," Jamie said a little breathlessly.

"What is it Miss Potter?"

"I know I'm not anyone's favorite student right now; not after what I did, but I need to talk to Professor Dumbledore. It's important."

"Why would you . . . ?"

"The Philosopher's Stone."

Minerva's gaze became hard. "How did you find out about that? Have you . . . ?"

"I got it honest, ma'am," Jamie promised. "No rules broken; just a really good researcher. I think I know what Voldemort's up to and how he intends to get it. I've been having dreams; those kinds of dreams. Only I didn't remember them until Hermione told me what she found out about the Stone."

McGonagall nodded. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, go about your business and speak of this to no one. Miss Granger, two points for Gryffindor for superior researching skills. Miss Potter, come with me."

A few minutes later, Jamie was in Dumbledore's office again.

"Tell us about your dreams, Jamie," he instructed her gently. "Don't leave anything out."

"The first one was back in January," she told them. "I remember a white haired man. I think I met him before, but I can't remember when or where. He was in this huge chamber with a lot of stone and puddles of stagnant water. I get the feeling it was somewhere really close. He was talking to a snake; a giant snake. They were talking about corrupting the castle.

"I woke up screaming. I thought the castle might be trying to warn me and I was going to tell Professor Harkness about it in the morning, but by then, it had faded and I just forgot. I figured it wasn't important after all.

"The other dreams I've been having since then were bad, but not nightmares. I didn't even remember them until Hermione told me about the Philosopher's Stone. I asked her to try to find out what artifact you might be hiding and gave her the list of the other stolen artifacts. It was all legit research. No rules broken; at least not by her.

"I'm really sorry for what I did, Professor. I promise I've learned my lesson. No more sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

He nodded and accepted her apology with a knowing smile; one that said he trusted her sincerity, but doubted her ability to keep the promise.

"Anyway," she continued, "the man isn't in the other dreams, but the big snake is. Sometimes I see it moving through the halls and walls of the castle. I think it's intangible like a ghost. Sometimes I see it in that stone chamber biting into the foundation of the school, sucking power from it and pumping poison into it.

"There's also a book in the dreams. I think it was even in the first one, but I didn't remember it. Professor, I think it's the Darkhold Pages. I think Voldemort is somewhere in the castle. I think he found a spell in those pages that's letting him draw power from it and even slowly corrupt it. I think the castle's been trying to warn me in these dreams. If he manages to pull it off, he may be able to slip past your safeguards and get to the Stone. The castle may even be forced to help him."

"Where did you get the idea that the castle was sentient?" McGonagall asked.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Jamie shrugged. "Hermione was the first one to suggest it, but we all agreed that it made sense."

"Who's this we?" Dumbledore asked without displeasure.

"The Marauders," Jamie told the professors calmly. "I re-formed the group just after I got here. Professor Harkness is our faculty advisor. We're mostly First Years, but have some Second and Third Years with us. We're also mostly Gryffindors, but have some Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws too. We haven't invited and Slytherins yet. There are about thirty of us."

"Why is it this is the first we've heard of this group?" McGonagall demanded.

"There's a political term called plausible deniability, Professor. You and Professor D are the Headmasters of the school. The Marauders are training to fight Voldemort when he returns. We're learning natural magic, spells the Ministry would never allow you to teach and hand to hand.

"We didn't want to get you in trouble, but I've already gotten myself in enough trouble for keeping secrets and sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. I figured it was time to clue you in."

"I see." Dumbledore tried very hard not to smile. "Your . . . concern for us is gratifying, Jamie, but in the future, we'd rather you let us know before you do things like this. Can I assume you discovered the infamous Room of Requirement on the seventh floor and have been using that?"

Jamie nodded.

"Since you've had a faculty advisor and as long as you have one in the future," he admonished her, "there will be no further points taken because of this. In the future, we may even be able to bring in some specialists to help train you. We've been fighting Voldemort a bit longer than you have, after all. Our friend Alastor Moody probably knows more unofficially proscribed spells all on his own than the rest of us combined."

He paused. "Go back to your day, Jamie, but speak of this to no one. Leave the rest of this to me."

"Can I tell the other Marauders?" she asked. "We've all sworn on our magic not to talk about anything we do outside the group. You two were the exceptions, of course."

He smiled and shook his head, then sighed. "You have my permission to tell them if you must, but no one who has not sworn that oath."

"Yes, sir, Professor Dumbledore, sir!" She saluted crisply, then scampered out the door."

Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. "Why is it I get the feeling that child is affectionately mocking me."

Minerva smiled. "Because she probably is. She's as much a scamp as her father was and that's the truth. Definitely keeps things interesting around here."

He nodded. "Not sure I'd have it any other way. Keeps us on our toes."

Checking the big clock in the central chamber of the castle as she left the stairwell, Jamie realized she was almost late for her weekly psychic training session with Betsy Braddock from WHO. A graduate of Xavier's, Betsy volunteered to help train Jamie after the New Year's incident. She had a very different approach to the subject than either the Professor or her cousin, but that wasn't bad.

"Sorry I'm late," Jamie said, arriving just a couple minutes after the hour. "I was with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall."

"Sounds important," Betsy responded, not bothered by the first time tardiness from the normally several minutes early student.

"It was," was all that Jamie permitted herself to tell the purple haired young woman.

"Okay." Betsy didn't pry. "Today, we're going to start working on breaking someone free of another person's mental control."

They sat down facing each other on the floor of the small individual study classroom. Jamie took a deep breath and tried to calm and center herself. It wasn't easy for an eleven year old who had just discovered that a mortal enemy was literally trying to take over her school.

It took a lot more effort than it normally did at this level, but she was eventually able to join her teacher in astral space. Even then, however, Betsy realized Jamie wasn't entirely there. She was still distracted by whatever had just happened.

"That must have been some meeting," she said.

"It was," Jamie told her, "but I'm not allowed to talk about it."

"Voldemort trying to subvert the castle so he can steal the Philosopher's Stone from the third floor where Dumbledore hid it is pretty important."

"How did you . . . ?" Jamie almost fled from astral space.

"Jamie," Betsy smiled. "We're both telepaths. You know how hard it is to block out outside thoughts sometimes. Well you're practically telepathically shouting this all out right now. I didn't even have to look and wouldn't have tried."

"Sorry." Jamie struggled to get control of herself.

"Don't worry about it. We already knew Voldemort was targeting the school and we were pretty sure what he was after. That's why WHO volunteered me to come here and train you, not that I wouldn't have done this anyway when Xavier asked. It's the closest thing they could get to having an agent on the inside."

"Please don't tell anyone else." Jamie was worried about letting the cat out of the bag.

"Can't promise that, kid." Betsy shook her head. "But that's not a bad thing. I have to report this back to WHO. They need to know and so does Fury. For that matter, both the X-Men and Avengers have a stake in this and need to be alerted. That's up to my bosses, though."

Jamie considered that. Those were all people she really didn't personally mind knowing. In fact, they were people she actually felt safer knowing had this information.

"Just don't tell the Ministry of Magic," she asked finally, almost on a whim.

"Why would we tell them?" Betsy laughed. "They don't want to even admit the man's not really dead. Bloody useless bunch of prats as far as I'm concerned; with all their 'I'm so superior because I can rearrange reality with a wave of my wand' bullocks. Makes them powerful, not superior. Bad as some mutants. My bosses feel the same way."

Jamie giggled in spite of herself. "I guess that's okay, then. I mean, it's not like I broke my promise. I haven't 'talked' about it."

That was all that was said about the matter as they finally got started on the lesson for the day.

Late that night, after everyone else in the castle was long asleep, four people descended into the depths of the structure. Earlier, over dinner, Agatha had approached Dumbledore with the information the Stephen Strange would be joining them to help with the purging of the castle.

When Dumbledore turned to look at Jamie, she looked like she wanted to crawl under the table, but he could hardly blame her. She was still very young and nowhere near fully trained as a telepath. It was bound to slip out in a training session.

"I'd hoped to deal with this privately." Dumbledore sighed.

"This is hardly a private matter, Albus," Strange admonished. "Anything involving Voldemort has implications that reach far beyond these walls. A great many people have reason to not want him to get his hands on that artifact."

Down in the lowest recesses of the castle, beneath the basements, dungeons and Potions classroom, the four came to a dead end. Stephen and Agatha remained a step back as Albus and Minerva stepped up to the wall and took out their wands. They tapped the wall each in a different section and pattern and recited a long incantation in ancient Gaelic.

When they finished, the wall vanished as if it had never been there and a chamber was revealed. The glowing orb of energy that dominated the room should have been brilliant blue, but it was shot with veins of sickly green. Dumbledore was afraid of little on this world, but this concerned him.

"It's worse than I thought." His brow was knit with thought. "But not, I think, as bad as it could have been had Jamie not warned us in time. A surprising amount of energy has been drained, but it's barely noticeable in comparison with the power of the node. The corruption, however, is concerning.

"Everyone stay back. As Headmaster, this is my responsibility. In fact, I'm the only one who can do it. If anything goes wrong, Minerva, Stephen is my chosen successor, although he's not likely to want to keep the job after finishing the cleansing."

McGonagall and Strange both nodded. They understood. If Dumbledore couldn't do this, Stephen was the only one who stood even a chance and he had to be Headmaster, however briefly, to be allowed to try.

Dumbledore held his wand in hand, but made no gestures and issued no incantations. He walked around and through the energy field, glowing with a golden light of his own. Where his golden glow intersected with the green of the corruption, the two canceled each other out, leaving only the pure blue.

The process took several minutes and by the time the last of the green was purged, Dumbledore's own glow was weak and pale. Even as victory as gained, however, the tired old man collapsed with a grimace of pain. He clutched his chest with his right hand as his left arm hung limp and useless.

Minerva was the first to reach him, but found his breathing faint and laborious. "Oh no you don't, old man. You're not leaving me with this responsibility yet."

Stephen was next to her. "He's having a heart attack. He pushed himself too far. Apport him to St. Mungo's. Agatha and I will take it from here. We'll make sure Riddle can't do this again."

Minerva nodded, gathered her old friend and mentor into her lap and vanished as the other two began their work.

At the same moment, in the Chamber of Secrets, Voldemort screamed in silent rage and frustration. To be so close and have it snatched from your grasp was maddening. He had more than enough power to remain active without the need of a vessel, but he'd been on the verge of completely bending the ancient castle to his whim.

He'd been aware of its attempts to warn the cursed child. He couldn't stop them, but he was able to manipulate her into forgetting. Then in an instant, everything had changed. With a subconscious force of will he could not have expected from one so young, she broke free, regained her memories and acted on them before he could stop her.

Now, he had more than enough power to sustain him for some years, but still no physical form. Worse, any attempt to possess another unwilling victim would not go unnoticed and his target was still protected against spirits.

He was in check, but not yet checkmated. He still had one ploy left to him. It would take time to prepare to maneuver his forces into position; possibly even using that fool, Jasper Carlisle, but victory could still be his.

He would need to contact MacNair. The man's ties to the Ministry would serve him well. To do this he would need to draw certain teachers away from the school. The first, Dumbledore, would now be out of the picture for some time, but McGonagall, Flitwick and even that traitor, Snape, could still be problems. That wasn't even to mention the wild card that was Agatha Harkness.

MacNair could need to maneuver the four of them away from the campus before Dumbledore was able to return. Once that was done, Voldemort thought, he would be free to move and that child would be the pawn he would use to achieve his goal. It would be sweet, poetic justice of the highest caliber.


End file.
